Saudi Arabia: US State Department approves sale of missile defense system to Saudi Arabia and UAE Saudi Arabia is buying defense weapons for 3 billion dollars. The decision comes after US President Joe Biden’s visit to Saudi Arabia. The Pentagon said the agreement would help the security of the Gulf region. The US president had previously announced that he would not sell weapons to Saudi Arabia.
The US State Department has approved two major arms deals. One, hand over 300 missile defense launchers to Saudi Arabia. The US will receive more than 300 million dollars in this category. Saudi Arabia can prevent cross-border attacks. The second is with the UAE. The THAAD missile system will also be provided to the UAE for $2.25 billion. Enter 96 numbers. For this, the cost to the UAE is 225 million dollars. The contract covers test equipment, spare parts and technical support.
The prime contractor is US-based Raytheon. The Pentagon said the arms transfer to key partners working for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf region would contribute to security in the region. The State Department has notified the US Congress that the agreement has been approved.
But there is nothing in this that they will be handed over or a contract will be signed. It is noteworthy that the agreement was signed after the US President’s visit to Saudi Arabia. There are reports that the US, which is struggling financially, will wake up with the new agreement. Biden’s stated position was that he would not hand over weapons to Saudi Arabia. But Biden’s visit came after he realized that US interests in the Gulf region would not survive without Saudi Arabia. And it was agreed that arms would be handed over if a ceasefire and an end-of-war declaration were made in Yemen.