President Donald Trump has designated Saudi Arabia a significant non-NATO ally of america throughout a go to by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Washington, DC, the place the two leaders reached agreements overlaying arms gross sales, civil nuclear cooperation, synthetic intelligence and significant minerals.
Throughout a proper black-tie dinner on the White Home on Tuesday night, Trump made the announcement that he was taking “army cooperation to even larger heights by formally designating Saudi Arabia as a significant non-NATO ally”.
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Trump stated the designation was “one thing that is essential to them, and I’m simply telling you now for the primary time as a result of I wished to maintain a bit of secret for tonight”.
The designation means a US companion advantages from army and financial privileges nevertheless it doesn’t entail safety commitments.
Saudi Arabia and the US additionally signed a “historic strategic defence settlement”, Trump stated.
A White Home reality sheet stated the defence settlement, “fortifies deterrence throughout the Center East”, makes it simpler for US defence corporations to function in Saudi Arabia and secures “new burden-sharing funds from Saudi Arabia to defray US prices”.
The White Home additionally introduced that Trump had approved future deliveries of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia whereas the dominion had agreed to buy 300 American tanks.
“I am happy to announce that we’re taking our army cooperation to even larger heights by formally designating Saudi Arabia as a significant non-NATO ally.” – President Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸🇸🇦 pic.twitter.com/PXXGGCBPGU
— The White Home (@WhiteHouse) November 19, 2025
Saudi F-35 deal raises questions on Israel’s ‘qualitative army edge’
Saudi Arabia’s buy of the stealth fighter jets would mark the primary US sale of the superior fighter planes to Riyadh. The dominion has reportedly requested to purchase 48 of the plane.
The transfer is seen as a big coverage shift by Washington that would alter the army steadiness of energy within the Center East, the place US legislation states that Israel should keep a “qualitative army edge”.
Israel has been the one nation within the Center East to have the F-35 till now.
Requested by Al Jazeera’s Kimberly Halkett in regards to the impression of the jet fighter deal on Israel’s “qualitative army edge”, Trump stated he was conscious that Israel would like that Riyadh obtain warplanes of “diminished calibre”.
“I don’t suppose that makes you too comfortable,” Trump stated, addressing the crown prince, who was seated beside him within the White Home.
“They’ve been an ideal ally. Israel’s been an ideal ally. … So far as I’m involved, I believe they’re each at a degree the place they need to get prime of the road,” Trump stated of the F-35 deal.
Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher, reporting from the White Home, stated part of the almost $1 trillion investment within the US introduced by Prince Mohammed included $142bn for the procurement of the F-35 fighter jets, “essentially the most superior of their form on this planet”.
Fisher additionally stated the Israeli authorities and lobbyists had tried to dam the sale of F-35s to Saudi Arabia.
The agreements introduced had been about “rather more” than Saudi funding within the US, he added.
“It’s about serving to one another’s financial system, enterprise and defence. Politics isn’t close to the highest of the agenda, however each nations imagine these offers might create a political reset within the Center East,” Fisher stated.
‘A transparent path’ for Palestinian state
The 2 nations additionally signed a joint declaration on the completion of negotiations on civil nuclear vitality cooperation, which the White Home stated would construct the authorized basis for a long-term nuclear vitality partnership with Riyadh.
Israeli officers had urged that they’d not be against Saudi Arabia getting F-35s so long as Saudi Arabia normalises relations with Israel beneath the Abraham Accords framework.
The Saudis, nonetheless, have stated they’d be part of the Abraham Accords however solely after there’s a credible and assured path to Palestinian statehood, a place Prince Mohammed repeated in the meeting with Trump.
“We wish to be a part of the Abraham Accords, however we wish additionally to make certain that we safe a transparent path of a two-state resolution,” he stated.
“We’re going to work on that to make certain that we come ready for the scenario as quickly as doable to have that,” he added.
