Saudi Arabia is set to receive up to 48 F-35 fighter jets from the Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon, which signals the revival of a decadeslong alliance of significant importance to America’s Middle Eastern agenda and local economy.
The alliance is of great importance as it provides our largest trading partner in the region with security and military capabilities that aid our counterterrorism agenda and stability in a region that serves as the birthplace of Islamic terrorism.
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In exchange, the United States benefits from major inflows of goods, capital, and vital oil resources that help stabilize domestic energy prices.
While much of the partnership now centers on U.S. support for Saudi military operations — a stance that runs counter to President Donald Trump’s “America First” and noninterventionist principles — the overall benefits of the alliance still outweigh its drawbacks.
According to the White House, “U.S.-Saudi Arabia goods trade totaled $25.9 billion, with U.S. exports at $13.2 billion, imports at $12.7 billion, and a trade surplus in goods of $443 million,” in 2024 alone.
Additionally, in August of this year, the White House announced that the Department of Energy has created a partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy, something that has not been done before.
By reinforcing market stability and enabling the expansion of domestic energy operations, this partnership brings the United States closer to realizing Trump’s goal of complete energy independence.
Moreover, with the threat of new Islamic terrorism growing in the region, including the recent developments with rebels in South Sudan and ISIS in Syria, maintaining a strong military ally in the region is crucial for preventing widespread escalations.
The alliance was first created in 1943, when Saudi Arabia was considered “vital defense to the United States,” since it supplied the nation with crucial amounts of oil that pushed the American military across the finish line in World War II.
The alliance was then solidified in 1945 when President Franklin Roosevelt met with King Abdulaziz to formally solidify the partnership that exchanged security for oil. Then in 1991, the partnership was solidified once again as U.S. troops invaded Kuwait on behalf of Saudi Arabia.
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The partnership has frayed in recent years. After accusing Washington of a weak response to the 2019 attacks on its oil fields, Saudi Arabia faced further strain when President Biden labeled the kingdom a “pariah” and scaled back U.S. arms sales.
By ramping up production alongside Saudi Arabia, Trump signaled his commitment to securing a regional ally that can both combat terrorism and strengthen the U.S. economy.