Saudi Arabia, US in talks for defence pact ahead of MBS' Washington visit

Riyadh and Washington are negotiating a deal similar to the recent US-Qatar pact, as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman prepares for a key visit to Washington next month

As West Asia remains embroiled in constant turmoil, nations are seeking new ways to tilt the shifting security balance in their favour. In a significant move, Saudi Arabia is reportedly negotiating a defence pact with the Trump administration that could bind Washington more tightly to the kingdom’s protection.

 

The deal, similar to a recent US-Qatar agreement, may be sealed during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Washington next month, according to a report by the Financial Times.

 

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is expected to visit the White House, where both sides hope to finalise the agreement. According to sources quoted by FT, the arrangement is likely to include deeper military and intelligence cooperation.

 

Citing a senior Trump administration official, the report said that “there are discussions about signing something when the Crown Prince comes”, although the details are still being worked out.

 

Saudi-US negotiations follow Qatar’s defence guarantee

 

The renewed push for a formal pact comes just weeks after President Donald Trump issued an executive order pledging to respond to any attack on Qatar with “all lawful and appropriate measures, including diplomatic, economic, and, if necessary, military”.

 

The order followed Israeli missile strikes on Doha last month that targeted Hamas’s political leaders — a move that unsettled Gulf states heavily reliant on US protection.

 

 

Saudi Arabia had previously explored a defence treaty with the Biden administration, tied to a plan to normalise relations with Israel. However, that effort collapsed after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, assault on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza.

 

Crown Prince Mohammed has since accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza and stated that Riyadh would only move towards normalisation if a Palestinian state is established — a condition Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects.

 

Trump-era ties and record arms sales

 

The Saudi crown prince’s upcoming trip will be his first to the US since 2018, also during Trump’s presidency. He has maintained close personal ties with Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner.

 

Saudi Arabia remains one of the biggest buyers of American weapons. During Trump’s visit to Riyadh in May this year, the White House announced a $142 billion arms deal, roughly twice the size of Saudi Arabia’s 2024 defence budget. It was described as the largest defence sale in history, covering air and space capabilities, missile defence systems, and maritime and border security.

 

Gulf allies question US commitment

 

Despite extensive defence links, Gulf countries have grown increasingly uneasy about the reliability of Washington’s security umbrella. During Trump’s first term, the US did not respond to a 2019 missile and drone strike attributed to Iran, which temporarily shut down half of Saudi Arabia’s oil production.

 

The Israeli strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar and the subsequent 12-day Israel-Iran confrontation in June — when Tehran launched missiles at a US base in Qatar following American strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites — have further deepened that anxiety.

 

Saudi Arabia diversifies defence partnerships

 

In a signal of strategic diversification, Saudi Arabia last month signed a “strategic mutual defence” pact with nuclear-armed Pakistan, highlighting its intent to broaden security partnerships beyond the US and Israel.