Saudi-US deals worth $380bn agreed during historic Trump visit
:: Saudi-US agreements and investment opportunities worth at least $380 billion were struck on Saturday during the historic visit to Riyadh by President Donald Trump, officials said.
King Salman and Trump co-signed the “Saudi-US Joint Strategic Vision Declaration” as a series of defense, business and technology deals were agreed in the Saudi capital.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said the total value of the deals agreed stands at more than $380 billion.
“The two countries signed a series of agreements,” he told reporters at a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
Defense played a key element in the deals, with Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Tillerson exchanging two memorandums to modernize and revamp Saudi capabilities.
Saudi Arabia and the US signed arms deals worth approximately $110 billion, the White House announced on Saturday.
Several over multi-billion-dollar deals were sealed at the inaugural Saudi-US CEO Forum, also held on Saturday.
They included a landmark $6 billion defense and armament agreement under a “letter of intent” to assemble 150 Lockheed Martin Blackhawk helicopters.
The agreement, which was revealed during the forum, is expected to support around 450 jobs in the Kingdom.
“At Lockheed Martin, we are proud to be part of this historic announcement that will strengthen the relationship between the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” said Marillyn A. Hewson, chairman, president and CEO of Lockheed Martin Corporation
“We are especially proud of how our broad portfolio of advanced global security products and technologies will enhance national security in Saudi Arabia, strengthen the cause of peace in the region, and provide the foundation for job creation and economic prosperity in the US and in the Kingdom. The agreements will directly contribute to His Majesty’s Vision 2030 by opening the door for thousands of highly skilled jobs in new economic sectors.”
Energy — one of Saudi Arabia’s strongest sectors — witnessed a number of announcements with a combined $22 billion worth of new deals signed during the forum by Saudi and American executives in the oil and gas industry.
A major funding boost for the largest oil refinery in the US was among a number of announcements in refining and petrochemicals signed on Saturday at the forum.
Saudi Aramco-owned Motiva Enterprises announced a landmark investment in the US totaling $12 billion with a likely additional investment of $18 billion by 2023.
It is estimated the deal will create approximately 2,500 additional jobs in the short term and a further 12,000 by 2023.
Announcing the deal at the Saudi-US CEO Forum, Amin Nasser, president and CEO of Saudi Aramco, said: “Today we are investing in long-term job creation and the future of the refining industry in the United States, and we are delivering on Vision 2030 to expand the US-Saudi partnership,” he said. “The message is clear: the longstanding bonds between our two countries are reinforced by both the value and scale of today’s agreement.”
Following his participation in the forum, Nasser also announced several agreements with suppliers including Jacobs, Honeywell and McDermott.
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