Trump stated “We’ll be selling the F-35s” in response to questions about the proposed arms transfer, which the kingdom has requested to the extent of 48 jets. Until now, only Israel has had access to the F-35 in the Middle East, and this deal would transform the regional military balance by altering the standard of what the United States calls Israel’s “qualitative military edge”. The shift began when the Pentagon cleared key defence conditions, and senior officials confirmed the sale would proceed, effectively signalling Washington’s readiness to grant top-tier capabilities to Riyadh.
Alongside the fighter-jet deal, discussions covered Saudi commitments to invest heavily in US artificial-intelligence infrastructure and civil nuclear cooperation. The two governments expect to announce a portfolio of projects tied to the $600 billion investment pledge the kingdom made during Trump’s May visit to Riyadh, which US officials regard as the base for this new phase of bilateral engagement. Saudi Arabia’s sovereign-wealth fund is poised to back major expansions in AI, semiconductor processing and data-centre construction in the United States, positioning Riyadh as a global tech investor rather than merely a commodity-exporter.
While the strategic and economic dimensions dominate headlines, the visit also underscores a rehabilitation of personal ties between Trump and the crown prince. The visit is the first by Mohammed bin Salman to Washington since 2018, when US intelligence concluded he approved the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. The fact that Trump has welcomed the Crown Prince signals that, from Washington’s perspective, strategic calculations now trump earlier human-rights concerns. Nonetheless, human-rights advocates remain vocal, and members of Congress have indicated they will scrutinise the arms agreement closely, citing concerns about Saudi domestic repression and its growing links with China.
Analysts say the F-35 deal is about more than hardware: it represents a broader US goal of anchoring Saudi Arabia within the American security and technology orbit and away from Beijing’s influence. By binding Riyadh to US systems—from aircraft to data to nuclear—the Trump administration seeks to shape a strategic architecture in the Gulf that reinforces American presence. Saudi officials, for their part, are still pushing for a formal security guarantee from the United States and a clear pathway to normalising relations with Israel, though Riyadh maintains it will only move forward when Palestinian statehood is credibly addressed.
The confluence of arms, investment and diplomacy means the White House is deploying a mix of carrots and consensus to re-engineer the bilateral relationship. Saudi Arabia, facing pressures to diversify its economy under its Vision 2030 reform agenda, views the United States as the partner of choice for technology and high-end defence. At the same time, the United States views the kingdom’s oil resources, regional influence and financial clout as indispensable assets. Still, shifting strategic sands in the Middle East—such as Iran’s growing regional footprint and the Gaza war’s repercussions—mean the timing of these deals carries significant geopolitical risk.
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Saudi Arabia