Saudi Arabia is in advanced talks with the United States over a potential defence agreement that could be finalized during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to the White House next month, the Financial Times reported on Friday, citing sources familiar with the matter.
According to the report, the pact under discussion would resemble the recent U.S.-Qatar defence agreement, in which Washington pledged to treat any armed attack on Qatar as a threat to the United States.
That deal was reached after Israel attempted to assassinate Hamas leaders in Doha last month, escalating regional tensions.
A senior U.S. official from the Trump administration told the Financial Times there were “discussions about signing something when the crown prince comes, but the details are in flux.”
The official added that both sides are working to finalize the framework before the Saudi leader’s expected Washington visit.
The U.S. State Department described defence cooperation with Saudi Arabia as a “strong bedrock of our regional strategy,” but declined to comment on the specifics of the potential agreement.
The White House, State Department, and the Saudi government did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters.
For years, Riyadh has sought formal U.S. security guarantees as part of Washington’s broader push to normalize Saudi-Israeli relations.
The talks come amid heightened instability in the Middle East and as Saudi Arabia diversifies its strategic partnerships, last month it signed a mutual defence pact with nuclear-armed Pakistan.
If concluded, the U.S.-Saudi defence deal would mark a major milestone in bilateral ties, reinforcing America’s long-standing security role in the Gulf while strengthening the kingdom’s position amid shifting regional alliances.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
