U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman during an arrival ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 18, 2025.
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump trumpeted Saudi Arabia’s $1 trillion investment pledge in the states and the potential sale of American fighter jets to riyadh, but experts say there are lingering doubts over whether such deals will materialize.
Trump rolled out the red carpet for saudi’s de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as he arrived in Washington on Tuesday for talks ranging from security to civil nuclear energy partnerships. The leaders signed a defense cooperation pact and held discussions about the potential sale of American F-35 fighter jets to the kingdom.
The U.S. visit by Mohammed bin Salman (or MBS, as he’s widely known) was not without controversy as it was the first time he had visited the States since the killing of Saudi critic and journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
U.S.intelligence determined that the crown prince had approved the operation that led to Khashoggi’s death in a Saudi consulate in Istanbul, but Riyadh denied any involvement in the murder.
Undeterred by global outrage over the death of Khashoggi,and question marks over Saudi Arabia’s rehabilitation and invitation to the White House,Trump and MBS said they had “finalized a series of landmark agreements that deepen the U.S.-Saudi strategic partnership.”
Among them, the White House said in a statement, was Saudi’s pledge to increase the $600 billion worth of investments in the U.S. that it made in may, to $1 trillion. The White House said the bump reflected “deepening trust and momentum for the united states under president trump’s leadership.”
No further detail was given as to a time-scale around that trillion-dollar investment,however.US President Donald Trump meets with Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on Nov. 18, 2025.
Brendan Smialowski | AFP | Getty Images
A $1 trillion investment is equal to Saudi Arabia’s annual economic output in 2023 (of $1.07 trillion) and economists questioned whether that level of investment would, or could, materialize any time soon.
“These sort of pledges have become regular features of the international landscape, even when, as in the case of the EU [and it’s pledged investment in the U.S. as part of a trade deal] there’s absolutely no enforcement mechanism available,” Paul Donovan,chief economist at GBS Global Wealth Management,noted Wednesday.
“To put the Saudi pledge in context, that is the equivalent of almost an entire year’s GDP [gross domestic product] for the kingdom. The pledge may not therefore be honored in the near term,” he cautioned.
F-35s
Along with the investment pledges, Trump and MBS discussed the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, with the kingdom https://www.defensedemocracy.org/
Though, Bowman also outlined key conditions that must be met before advanced weaponry like the F-35 is transferred to Saudi Arabia. These include addressing concerns about Saudi Arabia’s relationship with China, adhering to U.S. law regarding Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge (QME), and securing a commitment from Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel. The QME provision, enshrined in U.S. law,aims to ensure Israel maintains a military advantage over potential adversaries.
Congressional scrutiny and Implementation Challenges
Even if an agreement is reached, the actual delivery of advanced military technology faces a “long road” of logistical and political hurdles. Paul musgrave,associate professor of Government at Georgetown University in Qatar,emphasized the difference between announcing a deal and actually seeing aircraft operational in Saudi Arabia. https://www.georgetown.edu/
“It’s one thing to announce big deals…but it’s another thing to actually have planes touching down and taking off from Saudi runways,” Musgrave told CNBC. He highlighted the detailed negotiations surrounding technology transfer and the likely scrutiny from the U.S. Congress, which he characterized as “a little bit more amiable toward Israel than towards saudi Arabia.”
Normalization with Israel as a Key Factor
Lingering disagreements over a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict further complicate the situation. The potential for Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel has been a central theme in recent diplomatic efforts, brokered in part by the United States. However, progress on this front remains uncertain.
Musgrave noted that while Israel has experienced some recent setbacks in public standing, the path to finalizing the deal remains lengthy. The U.S. is balancing its strategic interests in the region with its long-standing commitment to israel’s security.
Recent Developments (as of november 20, 2023):
It’s significant to note that as of November 20, 2023, the situation is still developing. While discussions are ongoing, no final agreement has been reached regarding the sale of F-35s or other advanced weaponry to Saudi Arabia. The war between Israel and Hamas, which began on October 7, 2023, has further complicated the geopolitical landscape and may impact the timing and scope of any potential arms deals. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/
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