Trump designates S Arabia as major non-Nato ally

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that the US will formally designate Saudi Arabia a major non-Nato ally, marking a significant elevation in defence ties between the two countries.

He revealed the decision during a black-tie White House dinner honoring Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

“Tonight, I’m pleased to announce that we’re taking our military cooperation to even greater heights by formally designating Saudi Arabia as a major non-Nato ally — something that’s very important to them,” Trump said. “And I’m telling you now for the first time, because they wanted to keep a little secret for tonight.” The new status paves the way for deeper military cooperation and carries strong symbolic weight, with Trump saying it will advance US-Saudi defence coordination “to even greater heights.”

The crown prince thanked Trump for a “warm and great welcome,” adding: “We feel home.” He referenced the historic foundations of the US-Saudi relationship, noting that the partnership dates back nearly nine decades to the meeting between president Franklin D. Roosevelt and King Abdulaziz, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia. He also pointed to upcoming milestones for both nations, the US approaching its 250th anniversary and Saudi Arabia nearing its 300th, saying these celebrations underscore the long arc of shared cooperation.

Reviewing the history of the alliance, the crown prince highlighted joint efforts across the Second World War, the Cold War, and the long fight against extremism and terrorism.Yet he stressed that today marks a new phase in bilateral cooperation, with economic ties expanding across unprecedented sectors.

“Today is a special day,” the crown prince said. “We think the horizon of economic cooperation between Saudi Arabia and America is bigger and wider in many areas.

“We’ve been signing a lot of agreements that can open the door to develop the relationship deeper in many areas, and we’re going to work on it.” He added: “We believe the opportunities are huge, so we have to focus on implementation and keep increasing the opportunities between our two countries.”