In what officials are calling the largest set of commercial agreements ever between the two nations, Saudi Arabia has committed to investing $600 billion in the United States. The deals were finalized during President Donald Trump’s official visit to the kingdom, marking his first foreign trip since returning to the White House.
During the US-Saudi Arabia Investment Forum held in Riyadh, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman declared plans to push the investment figure even higher. “We will work in the next phase to complete additional agreements, reaching $1 trillion,” he said. The agreements span defence, energy, technology, infrastructure, healthcare, and critical minerals.
Record-Breaking Defence Deal Signed
The centrepiece of the investment is a $142 billion defence agreement, dubbed the largest in history. It includes procurement of US defence equipment, services, and training for the Saudi Arabia armed forces. Key areas covered are missile defence, air force upgrades, maritime security, land forces modernisation, and advanced communications systems. The deal will also support the enhancement of Saudi military academies and medical services.
The White House noted that Saudi Arabia is already the largest foreign military sales partner for the US, with active cases worth over $129 billion.
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Tech and Energy Investments Soar
Beyond defence, technology and energy partnerships form a significant chunk of the deal. Saudi Arabia data infrastructure company DataVolt will invest $20 billion in AI-powered data centres and energy facilities in the US. Additionally, tech giants including Google, Oracle, Uber, AMD, and Salesforce will collaborate with Saudi counterparts to invest $80 billion in digital infrastructure across both nations.
Meanwhile, GE Vernova has signed a $14.2 billion deal to supply gas turbines and energy solutions, and Boeing has secured a $4.8 billion agreement with Saudi’s AviLease for 30 next-generation passenger jets. This marks AviLease’s first direct order from a manufacturer.
“AviLease aims to become one of the top 10 global aircraft leasing companies,” said Chairman Fahad AlSaif. Founded in 2022, the PIF-backed firm currently manages over 200 aircraft leased to 48 airlines worldwide.
Healthcare and Sector-Specific Funds
In the healthcare domain, Shamekh IV Solutions is investing $5.8 billion, including building a high-capacity IV fluid plant in Michigan.
Three key sectoral investment funds were also announced:
- A $5 billion Energy Investment Fund
- A $5 billion Aerospace and Defence Technology Fund
- A $4 billion Global Sports Fund
“These deals reflect the growing momentum of bilateral cooperation built over the last four months,” the White House said.
Strategic Collaborations in Science, Energy, and Space
Agreements have also been inked between the US Department of Energy and Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy to jointly develop and finance new energy infrastructure. In a related pact, the US and Saudi industry ministries will cooperate on critical mineral mining, aiming to bolster supply chain resilience.
In space cooperation, NASA and the Saudi Space Agency signed a deal to send a CubeSat on NASA’s Artemis II mission, which will study space weather beyond Earth’s orbit.
The two nations have also modernised their air transport agreement, allowing US and Saudi airlines to move cargo to third countries without stopping at their respective home countries—a move expected to benefit cargo logistics and trade.
Culture, Education, and Trade
To strengthen soft power ties, cultural agreements were signed between the Royal Commission for AlUla and the Smithsonian Institution, including its National Museum of Asian Art and National Zoo.
Saudi Arabia remains one of the US’s top trading partners in the region. Bilateral goods trade reached $25.9 billion in 2024.
President Trump’s stop in Riyadh is part of a broader Middle East tour, with Qatar and the UAE next on his itinerary.
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