President Donald Trump has designated Saudi Arabia a serious 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 masking 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 better heights by formally designating Saudi Arabia as a serious non-NATO ally”.
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Trump mentioned 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 just a little secret for tonight”.
The designation means a US companion advantages from army and financial privileges but it surely doesn’t entail safety commitments.
Saudi Arabia and the US additionally signed a “historic strategic defence settlement”, Trump mentioned.
A White Home reality sheet mentioned the defence settlement, “fortifies deterrence throughout the Center East”, makes it simpler for US defence companies 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 better heights by formally designating Saudi Arabia as a serious 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 major coverage shift by Washington that would alter the army steadiness of energy within the Center East, the place US regulation states that Israel should preserve 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 concerning the impression of the jet fighter deal on Israel’s “qualitative army edge”, Trump mentioned he was conscious that Israel would like that Riyadh obtain warplanes of “decreased calibre”.
“I don’t suppose that makes you too comfortable,” Trump mentioned, addressing the crown prince, who was seated beside him within the White Home.
“They’ve been an incredible ally. Israel’s been an incredible ally. … So far as I’m involved, I believe they’re each at a degree the place they need to get high of the road,” Trump mentioned of the F-35 deal.
Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher, reporting from the White Home, mentioned 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, “probably the most superior of their type on this planet”.
Fisher additionally mentioned the Israeli authorities and lobbyists had tried to dam the sale of F-35s to Saudi Arabia.
The agreements introduced had been about “far more” than Saudi funding within the US, he added.
“It’s about serving to one another’s economic system, enterprise and defence. Politics isn’t close to the highest of the agenda, however each nations consider these offers may create a political reset within the Center East,” Fisher mentioned.
‘A transparent path’ for Palestinian state
The 2 nations additionally signed a joint declaration on the completion of negotiations on civil nuclear power cooperation, which the White Home mentioned would construct the authorized basis for a long-term nuclear power partnership with Riyadh.
Israeli officers had instructed that they might not be against Saudi Arabia getting F-35s so long as Saudi Arabia normalises relations with Israel below the Abraham Accords framework.
The Saudis, nevertheless, have mentioned they might be a 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 need to be a part of the Abraham Accords, however we would like additionally to make certain that we safe a transparent path of a two-state answer,” he mentioned.
“We’re going to work on that to make certain that we come ready for the scenario as quickly as potential to have that,” he added.
