State of Global Politics 2025

CWA # 1914
State of Global Politics 2025
US and Saudi Arabia: Crown Prince’s Visit and the Strategic Reset
The World This Week #338, Vol 7, No 52, 31 December 2025

R Preetha
31 December 2025

Photo Source:

What happened?
On 18 November, President Trump hosted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) in Washington, marking the Crown Prince’s first visit to the capital in more than seven years. President Trump announced Saudi Arabia's designation as a “major non-NATO ally.” He also approved the future sale of up to 48 F-35 stealth fighter jets to Riyadh, and a purchase of 300 US-made tanks. MBS pledged to increase Saudi investment in the US from previously announced USD 600 billion to nearly USD 1 trillion.

According to a White House fact sheet, the US and Saudi Arabia signed a “Joint Declaration on the Completion of Negotiations on Civil Nuclear Energy Cooperation.” Both sides also agreed on a Critical Minerals Framework, and an AI Memorandum of Understanding. President Trump and the Crown Prince also signed the “U.S.-Saudi Strategic Defense Agreement (SDA).” This will secure “new burden-sharing funds from the Saudi Arabia to defray U.S. costs, and affirming that the Kingdom views the United States as its primary strategic partner.”

On 19 November, the two sides formalized several pacts during the US-Saudi Investment Forum attended by key business leaders. Saudi Aramco (the Saudi Arabian Oil Company) signed 17 deals worth over USD 30 billion. President Trump said USD 270 billion in deals are being signed at the Forum. 

What is the background?
First, a note on recent US-Saudi Arabia relations and tensions. In recent times, the US-Saudi relations oscillated between convergence and strain. Under President Trump, the relationship was well prioritized, he chose Riyadh for his first foreign trips in both terms (2017 and 2025), securing major arms and investment deals. In 2018, relations were challenged over the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, killed by Saudi agents in Istanbul. This along with Saudi conduct in Yemen, led to US criticism over human rights. Former President Joe Biden guaranteed to make Saudi Arabia a "pariah” over these issues, however, energy and security needs led to his 2022 Jeddah visit and gradual re-engagement. Trump’s return further reset the partnership, with a USD 600 billion Saudi investment pledge in May. This week’s visit by MBS, his first since 2018, adds to this arc, with Trump’s statements such as the Crown Prince "knew nothing about” the Khashoggi murder, aiming to rehabilitate MBS in the backdrop of mutual strategic and economic interests.

Second, the economic, political and technological collaboration. During the meeting, Saudi Arabia was designated “a major non-NATO ally.” This means expedited access to US military hardware and cooperation, with fewer licensing requirements for advanced American weapons systems. Further, under Vision 2030, Riyadh seeks to diversify away from oil, attract high-tech investment, and position itself as a logistics, AI and green-transition hub. For the US, Saudi capital and critical minerals cooperation support supply-chain resilience and its broader competition with China.

Third, the Abraham Accords, Gaza, US interests, and Saudi Arabia’s leverage. President Trump has repeatedly shown his interest for Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords. During the meeting, Trump and MBS hinted at potential movement on this front, although no specifications or timelines were defined. The Kingdom has consistently linked normalisation with Israel to the Arab Peace Initiative framework. In recent years, Riyadh has increasingly used its role in Gaza and Iran to project regional leadership, while Washington has sought to anchor Saudi Arabia more firmly within a US-led regional security and diplomatic architecture.

What does it mean?
First, a strategic reset in US–Saudi relations. Security, investment, technology and diplomacy are bundled into a transactional framework: advanced defence systems, AI agreements and civil nuclear cooperation in return for substantial Saudi capital, critical minerals partnerships and alignment on regional issues such as Iran and Gaza. This meeting shows that Washington seeks Riyadh backing for energy stability, supply-chain resilience and leverage over China and regional issues. For Saudi Arabia, close ties with the US is important for its security and Vision 2030 objectives, even as it cultivates relations with other major powers.

Second, a shift in the Middle East military balance. The decision to sell stealth F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, marking the first such US sale to the kingdom, shows a significant policy shift. This shift also echoed in Trump’s statement: “They’ve been a great ally. Israel has been a great ally, and we’re looking at that exactly right now. But as far as I’m concerned, I think they are both at a level where they should get top of the line.”

About the author 
R. Preetha is a Postgraduate student at Stella Maris College, Chennai. 

PREVIOUS COMMENTS

February 2026 | CWA # 1959

Yesasvi Koganti | Yesasvi Koganti is an undergraduate student from Madras Christian College, Chennai.

UK and China
February 2026 | CWA # 1957

R Preetha | R Preetha is pursuing post-graduation in the Department of International Studies, Stella Maris College, Chennai, and is a Research Assistant at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru.

The India–US interim trade framework
February 2026 | CWA # 1956

Lekshmi MK | Lekshmi MK is pursuing post-graduation in the Department of Political Science, Madras Christian College, Chennai, and is a Research Assistant at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru.

End of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START)
State of Global Politics 2025
December 2025 | CWA # 1931

Padmashree Anandhan

NATO Summit 2025
State of Global Politics 2025
December 2025 | CWA # 1924

Padmashree Anandhan

NATO Summit 2025
This Week in History
August 2025 | CWA # 1801

R Preetha

28 August 1963
TWTW note
August 2025 | CWA # 1780

Abhiruchi Chowdhury

Trump tariffs:
This Week in History
August 2025 | CWA # 1778

Lekshmi MK

28 July 1914
TWTW Note
June 2025 | CWA # 1694

Aashish Ganeshan

The US:
CW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1689

Padmashree Anandhan

Ukraine
CW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1688

Ayan Datta

Gaza
CW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1675

Lekshmi MK

Turkey:
CW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1673

Padmashree Anandhan

Ukraine:
TWTW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1667

R Preetha and Brighty Ann Sarah

East Asia:
NIAS Global Politics Database
March 2024 | CWA # 1251

NIAS Africa Team

Africa This Week
NIAS Global Politics Database
February 2024 | CWA # 1226

NIAS Africa Team

Africa This Week
The World This Year
December 2023 | CWA # 1189

Hoimi Mukherjee | Hoimi Mukherjee is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science in Bankura Zilla Saradamani Mahila Mahavidyapith.

Chile in 2023: Crises of Constitutionality
The World This Year
December 2023 | CWA # 1187

Aprajita Kashyap | Aprajita Kashyap is a faculty of Latin American Studies, School of International Studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi.

Haiti in 2023: The Humanitarian Crisis
The World This Year
December 2023 | CWA # 1185

Binod Khanal | Binod Khanal is a Doctoral candidate at the Centre for European Studies, School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi.

The Baltic: Energy, Russia, NATO and China
The World This Year
December 2023 | CWA # 1183

Padmashree Anandhan | Padmashree Anandhan is a Research Associate at the School of Conflict and Security Studies, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangaluru.

Germany in 2023: Defence, Economy and Energy Triangle
The World This Year
December 2023 | CWA # 1178

​​​​​​​Ashok Alex Luke | Ashok Alex Luke is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science at CMS College, Kottayam.

China and South Asia in 2023: Advantage Beijing?
The World This Year
December 2023 | CWA # 1177

Annem Naga Bindhu Madhuri | Annem Naga Bindhu Madhuri is a postgraduate student at the Department of Defence and Strategic Studies at the University of Madras, Chennai.

China and East Asia
The War in Ukraine
October 2023 | CWA # 1091

Annem Naga Bindhu Madhuri

Issues for Europe
IPRI Quarterly Forecasts I Triggers, Trends, and Trajectories
July 2023 | CWA # 1012

Bibhu Prasad Routray

Myanmar continues to burn
2022: The World This Year
December 2022 | CWA # 879

Padmashree Anandhan

The Ukraine War
Europe: Heatwaves, Wildfires, Droughts, and Ice Melt in Alps
November 2022 | CWA # 838

Rishma Banerjee

Tracing Europe's droughts
NIAS Africa Weekly
March 2022 | CWA # 705

NIAS Africa Team

In Focus: Libya
The World This Week: 150th Issue
December 2021 | CWA # 630

GP Team

Europe in 2021
Pakistan Reader
October 2021 | CWA # 588

Abigail Miriam Fernandez

TLP is back again
NIAS Fortnightly on Science, Technology & International Relations
August 2021 | CWA # 528

STIR Team

Space Tourism
Science, Technology and International Relations
September 2019 | CWA # 162

Lakshman Chakravarthy N

5G: A Primer
South Asia Monthly Brief (Nov 2018)
December 2018 | CWA # 71

Mahesh Bhatta | Centre for South Asian Studies, Kathmandu

Nepal
South Asia Monthly Brief (Nov 2018)
December 2018 | CWA # 70

Nasima Khatoon | Research Associate, ISSSP, NIAS

The Maldives
South Asia Monthly Brief (Nov 2018)
December 2018 | CWA # 69

Harini Madhusudan | Research Associate, ISSSP, NIAS

India
South Asia Monthly Brief (Nov 2018)
December 2018 | CWA # 68

Sourina Bej | Research Associate, ISSSP, NIAS

Bangladesh
South Asia Monthly Brief (Nov 2018)
December 2018 | CWA # 67

Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer | Research Associate, ISSSP, NIAS

Afghanistan