President Donald Trump welcomed progress towards peace across the Middle East in his Saudi Arabia speech on Tuesday, urging the region to pursue economic development rather than Iran’s “self-destructive” path.
Trump made the comment during his speech in Riyadh shortly after meeting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Trump pledged to continue America’s strong partnership with the Saudi Arabian government and also condemned Western “interventionist” policies that have caused disasters in the Middle East.
“If the responsible nations in this region grab this moment, put your differences aside and focus on the interests that unite you, all humanity will soon be amazed by what we see in the geographical centres of the world and the spiritual heart of its great faith,” Trump said.
“Before our eyes, the new generation of leaders will transcend ancient conflicts and the tired divisions of the past, building a future in which the Middle East is defined by commerce rather than chaos. We should export technology rather than terrorism, people of different nations, religions and beliefs together to build and bomb cities.
President Donald J. Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will attend a bilateral meeting held at the Saudi Royal Court on May 13, 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images)
“It’s important that the wider world focuses on it. This major change is not coming from Western interventionists flying in lectures on your own issues and how to govern your own issues.
Trump’s speech came after he and Salman signed several economic agreements in a total of $600 billion in trade deals. The deal could help create jobs in the US for up to 2 million people, Trump said.
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President Donald Trump has stopped in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and began his visit to the Middle East. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Some contracts tracked in the ambitions that both Washington DC and Riyadh have said previously, especially when it comes to defensive deals.
The scope of the contract details remains unknown, but included transactions that had not been flagged previously prior to the president’s visit to the Middle East, such as the “cooperation agreement” between Saudi Arabia and the Smithsonian Association National Museum of the Asian Arts.
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In a statement shortly after the signing ceremony in Riyadh, the White House said it would “build its $600 billion commitment to Saudi Arabia’s US investment to create economic connections that can withstand generations coming.”
US President Donald Trump is walking with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at the official Saudi royal arrival ceremony on May 13, 2025. (Get McNamee/Getty Images)
The biggest investments detailed in this agreement include $20 billion in Saudi Arabia’s Datavolt and Energy Infrastructure in US AI data centers, and $80 billion in Google, Datavolt, Oracle, Salesforce, AMD, Uber and $14.2 billion in “front-of-the-line transformation technologies in both countries.”
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According to the White House, “The US and Saudi Arabia have signed the largest defense sales agreement in history. For almost $142 billion, it provides Saudi Arabia with cutting-edge war combat equipment and services from over 12 US defense companies.”
The defense sales reportedly were completed in the fall, and include air force advancements and space capabilities, air force and missile defense, maritime and coastal security, border security and army modernization, and information and communications systems upgrades.
Caitlin McFall from Fox News contributed to this report.
Anders Hagstrom is a reporter for Fox News Digital, covering national politics and major broken news events. Submit your tip to anders.hagstrom@fox.com or via Twitter: @hagstrom_anders.
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