Historic Economic Deal Signed Between US And Saudi Arabia
On May 13, 2025, in Riyadh, Donald Trump signed a strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia valued at 600 billion dollars. Beyond the sum, it is the nature of the alliance, between defense, tech, and energy, that is striking. While Washington strengthens its foothold in the Middle East and Riyadh accelerates its post-oil transformation, this agreement redefines the balance of power between two powers seeking global influence.
In Brief
- Donald Trump signed a strategic economic partnership with Saudi Arabia in Riyadh on May 13, 2025, valued at 600 billion dollars.
- The agreement covers major sectors such as defense, artificial intelligence, energy, mining, and cultural cooperation.
- A mega defense contract worth 142 billion dollars was concluded, including weaponry, cybersecurity, and space technologies.
- Giants like Google, Oracle, Salesforce, Uber, and AMD will jointly invest 80 billion dollars in breakthrough technologies.
A Geostrategic Alliance Amid Record Contracts
It was in the heart of the Royal Palace of Saudi Arabia that President Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman formalized a large-scale “strategic economic partnership”.
Indeed, during the signing ceremony in Riyadh, Donald Trump referred to a “historic” commitment that “could help create up to two million jobs in the United States”.
The White House, meanwhile, praised an agreement “based on 600 billion dollars of Saudi commitments to invest in the American economy”, promising “sustainable economic benefits for generations to come”.
This partnership is based on a dozen memoranda of understanding covering various fields. Here are the key points publicly announced :
- 142 billion dollars allocated to a mega defense contract, the largest ever signed between the two countries, including military equipment, aerial, space, and cybersecurity capabilities ;
- 20 billion dollars committed by DataVolt for the creation of sustainable energy-powered data centers in the United States ;
- 80 billion dollars invested in breakthrough technologies by a consortium of major American and Saudi technology companies: Google, Oracle, Salesforce, AMD, and Uber ;
- Unprecedented bilateral agreements with the Smithsonian Institute, concerning the National Museum of Asian Arts and the National Zoo for Biodiversity Conservation.
These elements lay the foundations for multidimensional cooperation that goes beyond commercial issues alone, integrating into a logic of influence, modernization, and global strategic rebalancing.
The Other Aspect of the Agreement : Data Centers, AI, and Big Tech Support
Besides the defense contracts, the technological aspect of the agreement draws attention by its strategic density. Saudi giant DataVolt has committed to invest 20 billion dollars in data centers and energy infrastructures in the United States, focused on artificial intelligence.
Moreover, a joint commitment of 80 billion dollars was announced by a consortium composed of Google, Oracle, Salesforce, Uber, and AMD, aiming to accelerate investments in so-called “transformative” technologies in both countries.
These initiatives were not all included in prior announcements, highlighting the element of surprise and the real scope of this pact.
The second part of the agreement reveals a nuanced “soft power” strategy through technology, which consolidates links between American digital giants and the Saudi kingdom. Thus, the involvement of figures such as Elon Musk, Sam Altman, and Larry Fink, present in Riyadh at the signing, adds a layer of credibility to this tech-industrial rapprochement.
The emphasis on data infrastructure and artificial intelligence reflects a shared desire to establish enhanced digital sovereignty amid global tensions, notably Sino-American ones.
