© Evan Vucci/APUS President Donald Trump and Saudi princes
The deal is expected to be announced during US President Donald Trump's upcoming visit to the kingdom in May.
This proposed package follows a failed attempt by the former US president Joe Biden government to broker a broader security agreement that included Saudi normalization with Israel in exchange for advanced US arms, assistance in developing a civilian nuclear program, and reduced Chinese influence in the region.
While it remains unclear whether Trump's proposal includes similar conditions, the package is expected to feature a range of advanced weaponry.
This includes C-130 transport aircraft, missiles, and radars supplied by major US defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin, RTX (formerly Raytheon Technologies), Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and General Atomics.
Lockheed is reportedly involved in a potential $20 billion drone deal involving MQ-9B SeaGuardian-style aircraft - an agreement discussed since 2018.
Defense company executives are reportedly considering traveling to Saudi Arabia as part of the US delegation. The Pentagon emphasized that the US-Saudi defense relationship remains strong under Trump's leadership.
The US has a longstanding history of arms sales to Saudi Arabia, highlighted by Trump's 2017 proposal of $110 billion in weapons deals. However, only $14.5 billion of those sales had been initiated by 2018, and Congress raised concerns following the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. These concerns led to a 2021 congressional ban on offensive weapons sales under president Biden.
The Biden administration began softening its stance in 2022 due to shifting geopolitical dynamics, including the Ukraine war's impact on oil markets. The ban on offensive weapons sales was lifted in 2024, as the US worked more closely with Riyadh after Hamas's 7 October 2023 attack on Israel.
Meanwhile, Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman visited Tehran on April 17, meeting Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and conveying a message from King Salman.
The visit resulted from renewed nuclear talks between the US and Iran amid fears of regional escalation.
On the Israeli front, Trump's ambassador nominee Mike Huckabee told Congress that a Saudi-Israel normalization deal is a top priority and "within reach."
However, Riyadh maintains it will not normalize relations until a Palestinian state is established - a demand Israel currently rejects. Despite public posturing, analysts suggest Saudi leaders may be privately more flexible. However, chances of a deal remain slim under Israel's current hardline government, which intends to continue the genocide and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza and the annexation of the occupied West Bank.
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