Global & US Headlines
Trump Grants Saudi Arabia Major-Ally Status and F-35s While Negotiating Personal Diriyah Deal
During Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s 18-19 Nov 2025 Washington visit, President Trump simultaneously signed a civilian-nuclear pact, approved the sale of 48 F-35 jets, and elevated Saudi Arabia to “major non-NATO ally,” even as his family firm haggled for naming rights on a $63 billion Diriyah real-estate project.
Focusing Facts
- White House fact sheet (19 Nov 2025) lists a forthcoming sale of 48 Lockheed-Martin F-35As to Riyadh, the first U.S. approval of the aircraft for any Arab state.
- At the evening gala, Trump invoked 22 U.S.C. 2321k to designate Saudi Arabia the 20th “major non-NATO ally,” a status offering expedited arms financing and R&D access but no mutual-defense pledge.
- Earlier the same week, Trump Organization executives confirmed to Diriyah Gate Development Co. that negotiations were in “advanced” stages for a Trump-branded hotel complex inside the $63 billion project.
Context
The episode echoes the 1981 AWACS sale—when the Reagan administration overrode congressional doubts to ship advanced surveillance planes to Riyadh—yet layers on personal gain reminiscent of Teapot Dome (1922) and Harding’s crony deals. Strategically, it amplifies two long arcs: (1) the U.S.–Saudi oil-for-security bargain forged in 1945 on the USS Quincy morphing into a data-, arms- and nuclear-tech compact; and (2) the global erosion of the post-1970s non-proliferation regime as states like UAE (2009), India (2008 waiver) and now Saudi Arabia bargain for reactors without giving up enrichment ambitions. On a century scale, gifting fifth-generation fighters and nuclear know-how to a monarchy that is simultaneously bank-rolling the president’s private ventures blurs the line between statecraft and personal commerce, accelerating a trend toward transactional geopolitics that weaker institutions may find hard to reverse. If Congress or future administrations fail to check it, historians may rank this moment alongside the Suez realignments of 1956 or the petrodollar accord of 1974 for its quiet yet durable reshaping of Middle-East power balances—and for normalizing conflicts of interest at the very summit of U.S. policymaking.
Perspectives
Saudi-aligned or Gulf media outlets
e.g., Asharq Al-Awsat, SUCH TV — Portray the crown prince’s Washington trip and the sweeping F-35, nuclear, and investment announcements as a historic leap forward that deepens a mutually beneficial strategic partnership and showcases Saudi Arabia as an ambitious, reform-minded investment magnet under Vision 2030. Coverage consistently accentuates economic upside and diplomatic prestige while glossing over Jamal Khashoggi’s murder, democratic deficits, or the conflict-of-interest allegations that appear in other outlets, reflecting the Kingdom’s interest in reputation burnishing.
Business-focused U.S. outlets
e.g., Yahoo Finance, Newser — Frame the week around Trump’s negotiations to plaster the Trump brand on a $63 billion Saudi megaproject, noting the possible clash between his private business pursuits and the official policy talks he will hold with MBS at the White House. Stories key on commercial intrigue and conflict-of-interest questions but largely sidestep deeper human-rights or geopolitical ramifications, a typical market-centric lens that prizes deal-making angles over normative concerns.
Liberal Western press
e.g., The Irish Times, Irish Independent, The Inquisitr — Cast the visit as proof of Trump’s willingness to excuse or minimise MBS’s role in Jamal Khashoggi’s murder and to inflate investment claims, arguing that Washington is rewarding a leader linked to human-rights abuses with advanced weaponry and prestige. Pieces foreground moral outrage and ridicule of Trump’s statements, which can overshadow discussion of potential strategic calculations or wider regional security debates, reflecting a tendency to highlight the administration’s perceived ethical lapses.