Saudi Arabia and the United States are on the fast track to advance their deep-rooted friendship all the more, even as the region is reeling under a variety of threats. The Saudi-US Summit signed a series of agreements that cover wide areas of basic importance, including military, security, economy, health and technology. Among the most important agreements were the 110-billion-dollar arms deal, the local manufacturing of Blackhawk helicopters, and military and energy cooperation. These are clearly geared towards strengthening the Kingdom's military industries. They are of added significance considering Iran's nuclear ambitions, its support for terrorist forces in Yemen, and the threat to the holy places in the Kingdom. The support that the Kingdom now enjoys from big powers is what Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had spoken of a year ago. This support is a major boost to the armed forces, not only to Saudi Arabia, but to the entire Muslim world which is perennially faced with threats from countries with vested interests. A number of economy-related agreements worth US$ 280 billion were signed between Riyadh and Washington. These agreements cover petrochemicals, Saudi Aramco, investments in technology, infrastructure, oil and gas, mining and human resource development. They also include agreements related to investments in real estate and an agreement for the purchase of transport planes. These agreements are expected to create thousands of jobs in both the countries, giving a major boost to the economy. An offshoot of the economic boost is expected to be massive development in the Kingdom, which includes areas related to culture and entertainment, in line with the Saudi Vision 2030. On terrorism, the Kingdom has clearly indicated that the war is not based on any sectarian considerations but encompasses terror in every form. This is why all the three summits held in Riyadh enjoyed full credibility, with a number of agreements signed in the two key areas of military and economy.
