By Faith Barbara N Ruhinda Updated at 1729 EAT on Tuesday 13 May 2025

Among the agreements between the US and Saudi Arabia announced today is “the largest defence sales agreement in histor, the White House says.

It adds that the agreement is worth nearly $142bn (£107bn) and includes providing Saudi Arabia with “state-of-the-art warfighting equipment and services from over a dozen US defence firms”.

Now that events in the Saudi Royal Court have wrapped up, the next step in Trump’s itinerary is to visit the ongoing Saudi-US Investment Forum at a conference centre in the capital.

Trump is then due to head to Diriyah At-Turaif, a historical area and Unesco world heritage site, on the edge of Riyadh.

While there the president will be hosted at an official state banquet to close out his evening.

Tomorrow morning Trump is due to attend a few more events in Saudi Arabia, before heading to nearby Qatar to continue his tour of the Middle East

Details about what is included in the agreements just signed by Mohammed bin Salman and Donald Trump are minimal at the moment, but here’s what we know they include.

In a plush room, the US president and Saudi leader sit at desks, signing the strategic economic partnership agreement. Applause from those watching follows.

Now we move on to the exchange of a stream of bilateral agreements between the two countries.

We’ll bring you more details on what the agreements contain as we get them.

Donald Trump and Mohammed bin Salman have just emerged and are now signing a strategic partnership agreement between the two countries.

So far we’ve heard very little about what US President Donald Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) discussed during their meetings.

During one discussion, the leaders were seated at the end of a long hall, away from reporters who are following the US president on the trip.

But Trump was overhead by White House reporters calling the Saudi crown prince a friend, and saying he believes they have developed a good relationship.

I really believe we like each other a lot, Trump was heard saying.

The White House reporters add that the US president also recalled visiting Saudi Arabia in 2017 during his first term in office  and told MBS that investment from the Gulf nation would help create jobs in the US.

The US president’s choice of Saudi Arabia as his first stop in his first official tour of his second term reflects the kingdom’s “geopolitical weight”, Asharq al-Awsat newspaper reports.

And, in contrast with his first visit to Riyadh in 2017, the kingdom was no longer in a subordinate position”, but rather has sought a partnership based on equality, it adds.

Trump’s son Eric gave an exclusive interview to the leading Saudi daily Asharq al-Awsat this week, in which he said his father considers the Gulf a key partner, and holds the leaders of Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Doha in high regard.

Many billions of dollars in Saudi investment in America is in play, in sectors ranging from aerospace to AI to energy.

There’s no better way to seal a deal than in person. Many of these business leaders will already have met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on their trips to Saudi Arabia – or his to America.

The kingdom is interested in access to the US market, and the most advanced US technology. While America is interested in the opportunities the kingdom can provide.

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