Trump declares recognition of Saudi Arabia as a key non-NATO ally

US President Donald Trump announced that the Unites States recognizes Saudi Arabia as a key non-NATO ally and that the two countries have signed a strategic defense agreement between them.

This came in a speech he delivered during a dinner he held at the White House on Tuesday evening, in honor of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is on an official visit to the US capital, Washington.

Trump noted that relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia have been strengthened by the recent visit of Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Trump thanked Prince Mohammed bin Salman for his pledge to invest $1 trillion in the United States.

During a press conference earlier Tuesday, the Saudi crown prince hinted at the possibility of announcing “today or tomorrow” that Saudi Arabia’s investments in the United States will increase from $600 billion to about $1 trillion.

Trump said Saudi Arabia would buy about $140 billion worth of weapons, ammunition and defense services from the United States, noting that this would create thousands of jobs for Americans.

He added that the multibillion-dollar arms purchases will solidify Saudi Arabia’s role as a key force for stability and security in the Middle East.

Saudi-US relations are witnessing a growing partnership and cooperation in various economic, political and security fields, with expectations of increasing the momentum of cooperation in light of the current visit.

During his speech, Trump touched on Gaza issue, noting that the contribution of many countries in the region, including Saudi Arabia, helped end the war there.

He stressed that they will work to rebuild Gaza with the participation of those same countries that contributed to achieving the ceasefire.

Trump claimed that Palestinians in Gaza are safer today, saying, “We want to thank all the people who live in Gaza… You know, they’re starting to go home, and they say that today they feel safer than ever before”.

The ceasefire agreement ended the war on Gaza that began on October 8, 2023, and left more than 70,000 Palestinian dead and more than 170,000 injured, most of them children and women, with reconstruction estimated by the United Nations at a cost of about $70 billion.

Following Trump’s speech, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman took the podium and thanked the US president for his hospitality, expressing his pleasure at the strength of relations between the two countries.

“The economic cooperation between Saudi Arabia and the United States has broader horizons… Today, we have signed important agreements that will deepen relations in many areas”.

In a statement on Monday, the Saudi Royal Court clarified that the visit of the crown prince came at the direction of King Salman bin Abdulaziz and in response to the invitation extended to the prince by President Trump.

The three-day visit is expected to witness the signing of economic and defense agreements, including the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Riyadh, in addition to discussing Middle East issues.