
Trump poised to offer Saudi Arabia over $130b arms package, sources say, World News
WASHINGTON/RIYADH — The United States is poised to offer Saudi Arabia an arms package worth well over US$100 billion (S$130 billion), six sources with direct knowledge of the issue told Reuters, saying the proposal was being lined up for announcement during US President Donald Trump's visit to the kingdom in May.
The offered package comes after the administration of former President Joe Biden unsuccessfully tried to finalise a defence pact with Riyadh as part of a broad deal that envisioned Saudi Arabia normalising ties with Israel.
The Biden proposal offered access to more advanced US weaponry in return for halting Chinese arms purchases and restricting Beijing's investment in the country. Reuters could not establish if the Trump administration's proposal includes similar requirements.
The White House and Saudi government communications office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
A US Defence official said: "Our defence relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is stronger than ever under President Trump's leadership. Maintaining our security co-operation remains an important component of this partnership and we will continue to work with Saudi Arabia to address their defence needs."
In his first term, Trump celebrated weapons sales to Saudi Arabia as good for US jobs.
Lockheed Martin Corp could supply a range of advanced weapons systems including C-130 transport aircraft, two of the sources said. One source said Lockheed would also supply missiles and radars.
RTX Corp, formerly known as Raytheon Technologies, is also expected to play a significant role in the package, which will include supplies from other major US defence contractors such as Boeing Co, Northrop Grumman Corp and General Atomics, said four of the sources.
All the sources declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.
RTX, Northrop and General Atomics declined to comment. Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A Lockheed Martin spokesperson said foreign military sales are government-to-government transactions. Questions about sales to foreign governments are best addressed by the US government.
Reuters could not immediately establish how many of the deals on offer were new. Many have been in the works for some time, two of the sources said. For example, the kingdom first requested information about General Atomics' drones in 2018, they said. Over the past 12 months, a deal for US$20 billion of General Atomics' MQ-9B SeaGuardian-style drones and other aircraft came into focus, according to one of the sources.
Several executives from defence companies are considering travelling to the region as a part of the delegation, three of the sources said.
The US has long supplied Saudi Arabia with weapons. In 2017, Trump proposed approximately US$110 billion of sales to the kingdom.
As of 2018, only US$14.5 billion of sales had been initiated and Congress began to question the deals in light of the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
In 2021, under Biden, Congress imposed a ban on sales of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia over the Khashoggi killing and to pressure the kingdom to wind down its Yemen war, which had inflicted heavy civilian casualties.
Under US law, major international weapons deals must be reviewed by members of Congress before they are finalised.
The Biden administration began to soften its stance on Saudi Arabia in 2022 after Russia's invasion of Ukraine impacted global oil supplies. The ban on offensive weapons sales was lifted in 2024, as Washington worked more closely with Riyadh in the aftermath of Hamas' Oct 7 attack to devise a plan for post-war Gaza.
A potential deal for Lockheed's F-35 jets, which the kingdom has been reportedly interested in for years, is expected to be discussed, three of the sources said, while downplaying the chances for an F-35 deal being signed during the trip.
The United States guarantees that its close ally Israel receives more advanced American weapons than Arab states, giving it what is labelled a Qualitative Military Edge (QME) over its neighbours.
Israel has now owned F-35s for nine years, building multiple squadrons.
ALSO READ: Saudi Arabia plans $810b in new US investment, trade over 4 years
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Straits Times
25 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Farage's Reform UK picks TV presenter as new chairman
FILE PHOTO: British MP and Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage speaks during the party's local elections campaign launch at Utilita Arena Birmingham, in Birmingham, Britain, March 28, 2025. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes/ File Photo LONDON - Nigel Farage's Reform UK has appointed David Bull, a doctor and television presenter, as its new chairman who will have the job of trying to end the party's infighting and turn it into a political force capable of winning a general election. Reform, which has five members of parliament, has recently seen a surge in support in opinion polls, overtaking British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's governing Labour as Britain's most popular political party. Bull's appointment comes after previous chairman Zia Yusuf abruptly quit the party last week after expressing frustration when a Reform lawmaker called for a ban on the burqa. Yusuf returned days later in a new role, citing exhaustion for his earlier decision to quit. Bull has previously served as deputy leader of Reform and stood unsuccessfully for election to parliament last year. He has spent more than two decades in broadcasting, appearing as a commentator, expert and presenter, and currently works for Rupert Murdoch's online channel Talk. On Tuesday, Farage dismissed suggestions the party was deeply divided, saying "people come and go in politics" and "given the sins that were committed last week, look at my levels of forgiveness". But the fractious internal politics of the party, which supports reducing immigration and abandoning policies to address climate change, has led to questions about whether Farage holds too much power. The change of chairman comes months after an acrimonious battle to remove one of the party's members of parliament, Rupert Lowe, who was suspended after being accused of bullying and threatening Reform staff members. Lowe denied the allegations and prosecutors later said they would not bring charges against him. New figures on Tuesday showed the party had yet to receive the large political donations previously promised by its treasurer, British billionaire Nick Candy. Reform received 1.49 million pounds ($2 million) in donations in the first quarter of this year, the first full three-month period since Candy was appointed, which was below the 2.6 million pounds donated to Labour and the 5.5 million pounds raised by the opposition Conservative Party. Candy said when appointed that he would bring in tens of millions of pounds in donations, and more money than any other party. Farage said it would be a big challenge to match the fundraising of more established parties, but Reform donations increased about 10-fold compared with the previous quarter. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Business Times
31 minutes ago
- Business Times
Tencent Music to buy Chinese audio platform Ximalaya for US$2.4 billion
[BEIJING] Chinese music platform Tencent Music Entertainment Group said on Tuesday (Jun 10) it would buy long-form audio platform Ximalaya for about US$2.4 billion in cash and stock, expanding its library of content to attract more paying users. US-listed shares of Tencent rose 7 per cent in premarket trading. The company will offer US$1.26 billion in cash and Class A shares representing up to 5.20 per cent of its total outstanding stock. It will also issue shares to Ximalaya's founder investors not exceeding 0.37 per cent of its total share count. The stock component of the deal totals about US$1.15 billion based on Tencent Music's last closing price on April 24. Closely held Ximalaya counts Tencent, Baidu and Sony Group's music entertainment unit as backers. The company filed for a Hong Kong initial public offering in 2021, but pushed back the plan. The app-based online audio platform had 303 million monthly active users as of 2023, according to a separate listing application it filed last year. Tencent Music is one of the biggest online music entertainment platforms in China, with apps such as QQ Music, Kugou, Kuwo and WeSing, according to its website. REUTERS, BLOOMBERG


CNA
31 minutes ago
- CNA
Tariff war: US, Chinese officials meet in London for second round of trade negotiations
American and Chinese officials are meeting for a second day of trade talks in London to shore up a fragile truce over tariffs. Negotiations are expected to focus on Beijing's shipments of rare earths and Washington's restrictions on chip exports. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said discussions are going well, while US President Donald Trump has also expressed optimism. Tan Si Hui reports.