President Donald Trump to Announce $100 Billion Arms Deal During Saudi Arabia Visit

President Donald Trump to Announce $100 Billion Arms Deal During Saudi Arabia Visit
Washington, April 25, 2025

According to a Reuters report, the United States is preparing to offer Saudi Arabia a massive arms deal worth more than $100 billion, as revealed by six sources directly involved in the matter. The deal is expected to be announced during U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia in May.

This proposal comes at a time when former President Joe Biden's administration failed to finalize a defense agreement with Saudi Arabia. That deal had included a broader plan to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel. The Biden administration had offered advanced American weapons in exchange for Saudi Arabia halting arms purchases from China and limiting Chinese investment. It remains unclear whether Trump’s offer includes similar conditions.

A U.S. defense official stated, “Under President Trump’s leadership, our defense relationship with Saudi Arabia is stronger than ever. This security cooperation is a key part of our partnership. We will continue to work together to meet Saudi Arabia’s defense needs.” Trump has previously promoted arms sales as a means to boost American jobs.

Two sources said that the deal includes Lockheed Martin's C-130 transport aircraft, along with missiles and radar systems. Four other sources confirmed that RTX Corporation (formerly Raytheon Technologies), Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and General Atomics are also involved in the deal.

RTX, Northrop, and General Atomics declined to comment. Boeing also made no comment. Lockheed Martin said that such arms sales are handled on a government-to-government basis and that commenting on specific deals is the responsibility of the U.S. government.

Many of the arms being considered in this deal had already been under discussion for years. For example, Saudi Arabia had requested information about General Atomics drones as early as 2018. One source mentioned that over the past 12 months, discussions have centered around a $20 billion deal involving General Atomics' MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones and other aircraft.

Three sources said that several executives from U.S. defense companies may also travel to Saudi Arabia as part of the visit.

The U.S. has been a long-time arms supplier to Saudi Arabia. In 2017, Trump proposed a $110 billion arms deal. However, by 2018, only $14.5 billion worth of arms sales had begun. After the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, U.S. Congress began to scrutinize such deals more heavily.

In 2021, during the Biden administration, Congress imposed a ban on offensive weapons sales to Saudi Arabia, aiming to end the war in Yemen and respond to the Khashoggi murder. However, after the Ukraine war began in 2022 and pressure on global oil supplies increased, Washington renewed efforts to improve ties with Riyadh. The ban on offensive weapons sales was lifted in 2024, and after Hamas’s October 7 attack, cooperation with Saudi Arabia on post-Gaza planning intensified.