President Donald Trump declared the oil-rich kingdom to be a major non-NATO ally following a meeting and banquet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
Saudi Arabia has agreed to raise investment in the US to almost $1 trillion, the White House has announced.
The Kingdom made the commitment as part of a series of “landmark” economic and strategic deals signed by US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during the latter’s visit to Washington this week.
In a statement on Tuesday, the White House said the agreements build on Trump’s “highly successful” May visit to Riyadh. They include Saudi Arabia’s nearly $1 trillion investment pledge for US infrastructure, technology and industry – up from the $600 billion initially secured in May. Trump also approved a major defense package for the Kingdom, including future F-35 jet deliveries and a purchase of nearly 300 American tanks.
Other agreements include a joint declaration on nuclear energy cooperation, a critical minerals deal, and an AI memorandum granting the Kingdom access to US systems.
During the visit, Trump announced US recognition of Riyadh as a “major non-NATO ally,” a status that grants expedited access to US military hardware, sales and cooperation. Saudi Arabia joined 19 other countries with this designation, including Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Japan, Qatar and South Korea.
Alongside defense and economic ties, the two leaders discussed regional issues. Prince Mohammed said Saudi Arabia would support a potential US-Iran nuclear deal and signaled progress on talks about joining the Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and several Arab states and which Trump has repeatedly urged Saudi Arabia to join.
While Saudi Arabia maintains a longstanding security partnership with the US, it has recently taken on a larger diplomatic role between Washington and Moscow. It hosted the first high-level US-Russia talks on restoring bilateral ties and on the Ukraine conflict in years in Riyadh in February.
The Kingdom has also strengthened links with Russia: trade nearly quadrupled in the first quarter of 2025, and Saudi Arabia announced new direct Riyadh-Moscow flights starting in October. Saudi and Russian foreign ministers held talks in Moscow earlier this year at which they reaffirmed their commitment to “enhancing relations” and deepening their strategic partnership.
