 "An F-35C, assigned to the 'Rough Raiders' of Strike Fighter Squadron VFA-125, lands on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt on May 5, 2023. (Photo: US Navy)")
US President Donald Trump has announced that Washington would sell F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia ahead of its Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s visit to the country.
When asked whether the White House would authorise the sale of the jets to Riyadh, Trump said, “We will be doing that. We will be selling F-35s. They have been a great ally.”
Trump’s approval comes despite a New York Times report that US officials had warned China could gain access to the advanced warplane’s technology if the sale to Saudi Arabia proceeded.
The US has only allowed the sale of F-35s to its closest allies, including some in Europe. Saudi Arabia has been seeking the jets for a long time now.
Washington removed Turkey from the F-35 program in 2019 after Ankara’s purchase of a Russian air defence system raised concerns that Moscow might gain access to the jet’s technology.
This will be MBS’s first visit to the US in 18 years, after the killing of Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents in Istanbul in 2018, which Washington concluded was approved by MBS.
The visit is largely a continuation of US President Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia earlier this year, where he made a $600 billion Saudi investment pledge. The Saudi leader is seeking security guarantees amid regional turmoil and wants access to artificial intelligence technology and progress toward a deal on a civilian nuclear programme.
Quick Reads
View AllDefence, AI, nuclear and more
There’s a lot on Washington’s and Riyadh’s plates during MBS’s trip to the US. Both countries have long had an arrangement for the kingdom to sell oil at favourable prices and for the superpower to provide security in exchange.
That equation was shaken by Washington’s failure to act when Iran struck oil installations in the kingdom in 2019. Concerns resurfaced in September, when Israel struck Doha, Qatar, in an attack it said targeted members of Palestinian militant group Hamas.
In the aftermath, Trump signed a defence pact with Qatar via executive order. Many analysts, diplomats and regional officials believe the Saudis will get something similar.
Saudi has also been pushing for deals in nuclear energy and artificial intelligence as part of its ambitious Vision 2030 plan to diversify its economy and strengthen its position relative to regional rivals.