Saudi Arabia seeks Qatar-like security pact with Washington
During the Biden presidency, MbS was in talks to normalize relations with Israel in exchange for a US defense pact
Saudi Arabia is in talks with the White House to establish a defense pact with Washington that would regard any attack on the Gulf monarchy as a threat to US “peace and security,” the Financial Times (FT) reported on 17 October.
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order earlier this month to establish a similar pact with another Gulf monarchy, Qatar.
Saudi officials hope a deal can be finalized when Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) visits the White House next month. They hope such a deal will be “robust” and involve enhanced military and intelligence cooperation, people familiar with the matter told FT.
When asked about the reports, a White House official only said that “There are discussions about signing something when the crown prince comes, but the details are in flux.”
The State Department issued a statement calling US-Saudi defense cooperation “a strong bedrock of our regional strategy.”
During the term of former US president Joe Biden, Saudi officials pushed for an agreement that would see the US agree to defend the kingdom in the event of an attack by Iran, allow Saudi purchases of advanced US weapons, and permit the transfer of US nuclear technology to Riyadh.
The Saudis also demanded that Israel allow the establishment of a Palestinian state.
In return, Saudi Arabia would agree to normalize relations with Israel.
A US–Saudi agreement was reportedly close until the start of Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza in October 2023. Israel’s barbaric bombing of Gaza and slaughter of Palestinian children made it difficult, for public relations reasons, for Riyadh to agree to normalize relations with Tel Aviv.
Negotiations have now been continuing between MbS and President Trump to “secure a standalone defense deal with the US, which could either come through an agreement or an executive order,” FT wrote.
“I’m expecting, on the back end of the executive order with Qatar, that there will be similar progress on defense and security issues,” said Firas Maksad, Washington-based managing director for the Middle East and North Africa at Eurasia Group.
“They are working on something … I understand it’s something much more robust than what already exists,” he said.
In contrast, Hussein Ibish, a senior scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute (AGSI) in Washington, told FT that Trump may insist that MbS recognize Israel.
“That doesn’t mean we can’t get past it – because all Trump has to do is decide it’s a good idea. But we’re not there yet,” he said.
Saudi Arabia is already a major purchaser of US weapons. The White House announced a $142-billion arms deal with the kingdom during Trump’s visit to the region in May.
The US president's executive order vowing to guarantee the security of Qatar came after an unprecedented Israeli attack last month.
The Israeli strike on Doha took place on 9 September. It targeted senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya and others as they met in the capital to discuss a US proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Hayya’s son and four other lower-ranking Hamas members were killed. However, Hayya and other senior officials survived. A Qatari security force member was also killed in the attack.
Trump said in the order that Washington and Doha were “bound together by close cooperation, shared interests, and the close relationship between our armed forces.”
The president went on to say that Qatar was “a steadfast ally in pursuit of peace, stability, and prosperity,” and supported Washington in mediating global and regional conflicts.