RIYADH: US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on Tuesday signed a strategic economic partnership deal in Riyadh.
The partnership featured the signing of several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) across key sectors, including energy, mining, and defence.
The White House said in a statement, as cited by AFP, that the US and Saudi Arabia signed an arms deal. “The United States and Saudi Arabia signed the largest defence sales agreement in history — nearly $142 billion, providing Saudi Arabia with state-of-the-art warfighting equipment,” the White House said.
Defence cooperation focused on modernising the capabilities of the Saudi armed forces and included a notable agreement between the Saudi Space Agency and NASA.
Additional agreements covered a wide range of areas, including an MoU on mineral resources, a partnership with the US Department of Justice, and joint efforts to combat infectious diseases.
HRH the Crown Prince and #US President sign Strategic Economic Partnership between the governments of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States of America.#SaudiUSsummit #SPAGOV pic.twitter.com/6CvJEiVxi6
— SPAENG (@Spa_Eng) May 13, 2025
A memorandum of understanding was signed between the two countries for cooperation between the Saudi National Institute of Health Research and the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in the field of medical research on infectious diseases.
Altogether, the agreements are part of a broader package the White House said will total $600bn, Al Jazeera reported.
Meanwhile, the Saudi Crown Prince and US President Trump also co-chaired the Saudi-US Summit.
During the summit, bilateral relations and coordination efforts to enhance the strategic partnership between the two friendly countries across various sectors came under discussion, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
Discussions also covered the latest regional and international developments, issues of mutual interest, and efforts to promote security and stability.
Earlier, President Donald Trump arrived in Riyadh for a state visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, marking the beginning of his first official tour of the Middle East since taking office.
He was received by Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, at King Khalid International Airport, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
A 21-gun salute and trumpet fanfare greeted the president upon his arrival. The Crown Prince and US President then engaged in cordial talks over Saudi coffee.
According to Arab News, the Royal Saudi Air Force F-15s provided an honorary escort for Air Force One as it approached the kingdom’s capital.
Air Force One took off on a journey that will include visits to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates — and possibly talks in Turkiye on the Ukraine war.
We like each other a lot,’ Trump tells Saudi Crown Prince
We have the first public comments made by Trump speaking alongside Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh. Speaking moments ago, the US president said “a lot of cheques” and “probably two million jobs” in the US were being talked about during this visit.
“Number one, I like visiting with you and we’ve known each other very well, and I really believe we like each other a lot,” he told the Crown Prince.
