President Donald Trump announced that the United States will sell F-35 stealth fighter jets to Saudi Arabia.
The announcement came on the eve of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's first White House visit since the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Trump told reporters the U.S. will be selling the advanced jets and described the kingdom as a great ally.
The crown prince, the kingdom's de facto ruler, will be received with a red-carpet welcome and a dinner hosted by First Lady Melania Trump.
The visit is expected to produce billions of dollars in new deals after the two leaders already signed a record $142 billion arms package in Riyadh in May as part of a broader $600 billion investment agreement.
Saudi Arabia remains the largest buyer of American weapons.
The White House meeting marks a full rehabilitation of relations under Trump.
His predecessor Joe Biden had vowed to treat Saudi Arabia as a pariah over human rights abuses and the Khashoggi murder but later travelled to the kingdom in 2022 to secure other agreements.
Trump hosted the crown prince in 2018, the same year Khashoggi was killed and dismembered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul by Saudi agents.
U.S. intelligence concluded the crown prince approved the operation.
He has repeatedly denied any involvement.
Khashoggi's widow, Hanan Elatr Khashoggi, called the visit "very painful" and urged focus on American values and justice alongside economic ties.
Topics on Tuesday's agenda include defense cooperation, civilian nuclear power, Saudi investments in U.S. artificial intelligence infrastructure, and pressure for Riyadh to join the Abraham Accords and normalise relations with Israel, which Saudi officials say remains conditional on a path to a Palestinian state.
The F-35 is the world's most advanced fighter jet and has until now been supplied in the Middle East only to Israel to maintain its qualitative military edge.
American defense officials fear the stealth technology could reach China through the Saudi-Chinese security partnership.
Israeli officials have warned the sale risks harming Israel's regional military standing.
Some pro-Israel U.S. Republicans share the concern.
A previous F-35 deal with the United Arab Emirates was suspended for the same reasons.
Each F-35 costs $80–110 million.