By Noor al-Din Omar | 2024-09-11

The United States' recent approval of a Saudi military sale request highlights the high level of cooperation and trust between the longtime allies, as both work to improve security in the Gulf region.

The sale, approved July 23, is hugely significant for the region in terms of what it will deliver in support of Saudi military capabilities and in enabling the kingdom to deter threats, experts told Al-Fassel.

The Saudi economy also is expected to benefit, as companies expand their capabilities and job opportunities open up in new areas of specialization.

The sale will improve Saudi Arabia's capability to deter current and future threats "by providing sustainment and training support of the Royal Saudi Air Force's existing platforms and aircraft fleets," the US State Department said.

The deal is significant "because of the quantum shift the kingdom will witness because of it," Saudi military expert Mansour al-Shehri told Al-Fassel.

It includes follow-on logistics and support services for key US-made warplanes "such as the C-130 aircraft used for troop transport, landing operations and logistical transport, and E-3 Sentry surveillance aircraft (AWACS)," he said.

It also provides maintenance support for Bell attack helicopters on a constant basis, he said.

Last month, Saudi Arabia was authorized to operate a service center for the maintenance, repair and overhaul of C-130 Hercules aircraft. The Saudi air force owns 32 of them.

This development places Saudi Arabia among 14 nations with the capability to maintain these aircraft.

Supporting regional stability

The military sale "will enhance Saudi Arabia's military capabilities in addition to strengthening its strategic relationship with the United States," al-Shehri said.

"This will consequently contribute to deterring any type of threat at any time, and also will provide constant support for training and maintenance work for Saudi warplanes," he added.

The deal is "an indication of high US confidence in the kingdom," King Abdulaziz University economics lecturer Faisal al-Khawaldi told Al-Fassel.

This will allow the entire region, not just Saudi Arabia, to enjoy stability, he said, which will in turn "allow for attention to be directed toward development and economic aspects in all domains."

"This deal is the deal of the century for Saudi Arabia," al-Khawaldi said.

"It will elevate Saudi companies to very high ranks internationally, which will open important investment doors for them due to the increased confidence in their capabilities on the global level," he added.