Trump in Saudi Arabia: Record armor contracts and AI billion!

Trump in Saudi Arabia: Record armor contracts and AI billion!

Riad, Saudi-Arabien - President Donald Trump started his first big trip abroad of his second term in the Gulf States on May 13, 2025. The starting point of his trip was Saudi Arabia, where he was greeted with a warm welcome by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman at the airport in Riyadh. On this occasion, Saudi Arabian fighter jets also flew across Riyad's sky, which underlined the pompous reception. Trump's journey is focused on strengthening the economic relationships and he is accompanied by important cabinet members, including Foreign Minister Marco Rubio and Defense Minister Pete Hegseth, as well as the entrepreneur Elon Musk. During his visit, comprehensive armaments agreements worth $ 142 billion were signed ($ 127.4 billion). Saudi Arabia is preserved "state-of-the-art fighting equipment" from the USA, including air and sea defense systems as well as border protection measures and the training of Saudi soldiers. In particular, the kingdom plans to acquire US combat jets of type F-35.

In addition to the arms delivery, Saudi Arabic investments of $ 20 billion were announced in artificial intelligence. Trump emphasized the "strategic partnership for economic prosperity", which is associated with investment commitments of a total of $ 600 billion (approx. 538 billion euros). These also contain older investments to keep the total number of commitments. Trump had previously called for an increase in investments to "around one trillion" dollar in January, which Saudi Arabia did not implement to the extent.

pompous reception and future visions

The reception of Trump at the royal palace was another highlight of his visit, which was accompanied by a riding guard. In addition to the signed armaments contracts, agreements in areas such as energy, justice and customs as well as a collaboration between the Smithsonian Museum and Saudi facilities were also sealed. Trump described Bin Salman as a friend and emphasized the investment commitments to the United States, which should reaffirm the strategic partnership.

The trip will also lead Trump to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. During his stay, he will take part in a summit of the Gulf States and appear at an investor forum. Trump has also announced that the sanctions against Syria canceled in order to give the country an opportunity for stability, which could alleviate the geopolitical tensions in the region. It is noteworthy that no stopover in Israel is planned, which is due to Trump's previous efforts in the Gazakonflict.

Saudi Arabia has recently been the scene for negotiations regarding the Ukraine conflict between Russia, Ukraine and the USA. There are also discussions about the Iran nuclear program and a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. An agreement on ceasefire with the Huthi militia supported by Iran in Yemen was also agreed in this context.

In the middle of these diplomatic activities, Iran's chief of staff warns of possible aggressions during Trump's visit and demands the neutrality of the neighboring countries. With a clear focus on economic and security policy cooperation, Trump's journey shows the complexity and interdependence of the geopolitical landscape in the Middle East.

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