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  • US, Saudis close to deal on defense pact, White House says

    The United States and Saudi Arabia are close to a final agreement on a bilateral defense pact after the U.S. national security adviser made significant progress in talks with the Saudis over the weekend, the White House said on Monday.
    White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said the two sides are "closer than we've ever been" on a bilateral agreement that is now "near final."
    U.S. and Saudi negotiators are seeking to complete work on a bilateral accord expected to call for formal U.S. guarantees to defend the kingdom as well as Saudi access to more advanced U.S. weaponry, in return for halting Chinese arms purchases and restricting Beijing’s investment in the country.

  • Saudi Arabia Diversifying Air Defenses And Boosting Local Industries

    Lockheed Martin awarded two subcontracts to Saudi Arabia’s defense industry in February. Under these subcontracts, Saudi companies will manufacture the interceptor canister and missile round pallet for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system. These subcontracts make Saudi Arabia the first country outside the United States to produce THAAD components locally.

  • US National Security Adviser Insists on No Saudi Defense Pact Without Israel Normalization

    Jake Sullivan, who serves as President Joe Biden’s top national security aide, told the UK-based Financial Times that the materializing deal currently being discussed with Saudi Arabia centers on a “bilateral understanding” between the US and the Gulf kingdom on defense issues as well as a nonnegotiable normalization process with Israel. Similarly, the deal would also center on a framework providing “meaningful steps on behalf of the Palestinian people,” he added.  

  • Sullivan Says US-Saudi Defense Pact Not Possible Without Israel Deal, FT Reports

    US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan insisted the Biden administration will enter into a defense pact with Saudi Arabia only if the kingdom normalizes relations with Israel, the Financial Times reported. Sullivan said in an interview with the newspaper the two issues were part of an “integrated vision” for peace in the Middle East and could not be disentangled. He said that President Joe Biden will publicly outline a path to a more secure Israel and a more peaceful region in the months ahead, the FT said.

  • Saudi-US Defense Pact Faces Netanyahu Obstacle

    To secure the 67 votes in the US Senate to become a binding treaty, as Riyadh insists, it almost certainly needs Saudi Arabia to establish diplomatic relations with Israel. And that in turn requires an end to the Gaza conflict and an Israeli commitment to a Palestinian state.

  • Saudi Arabia balks at Israel normalization, floats ‘modest’ defense pact with US: Report

    “Under that option, the US and Saudi Arabia would sign agreements on a bilateral defense pact, US help in the building of a Saudi civil nuclear energy industry, and high-level sharing in the field of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies,” the British daily reports.

  • US and Saudis Near Defense Pact Meant to Reshape Middle East

    The agreement faces plenty of obstacles but would amount to a new version of a framework that was scuttled when Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, triggering the conflict in Gaza. Negotiations between Washington and Riyadh have sped up recently, and many officials are optimistic that they could reach a deal within weeks, according to the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations.

  • Saudi Arabia braced for heavy rainfall, Civil Defense issues warning

    Saudi Arabia is set to receive more rainfall toward the weekend, with Riyadh and its outskirts likely to witness heavy rains from Friday to next Tuesday. In addition, the National Center for Meteorology said on Tuesday: “May forecasts indicate a chance of higher than average rainfall.” More rain is forecast this week in Makkah, Jazan, Aseer, Al-Baha, the Eastern Province, and regions in Riyadh, the NCM added.

  • Global defense spending jumped in 2023

    Total global defense spending grew at its fastest pace in the last decade from 2022 to 2023, as governments respond to security crises unfolding around the world. Combined military outlays jumped 10.4 percent in 2023 on strong growth from nearly all of the top spenders, bringing the global total above $2 trillion for the first time, according to a new report from Forecast International, a sister brand of Defense One.

  • Saudi defense minister receives phone call from US counterpart

    Saudi Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman received on Sunday a phone call from U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. During the call, they reviewed the strategic partnership between the two countries in the military and defense fields and ways to strengthen them. The ministers also discussed the recent military escalation in the region, the danger of its repercussions, and the efforts being exerted to contain these developments in a way safeguarding international peace and security, the Saudi Press Agency reported.