On 13 May, Saudi Arabia announced a $600-billion commitment to invest in the United States. The first deals under the announcement focus on energy security, defense industry, technology leadership, and access to global infrastructure and critical minerals.
Saudi Arabia is one of the United States’ largest trading partners in the Middle East. Saudi direct investment in the United States totalled $9.5 billion in 2023, focused on the transportation, real estate, and automotive sectors. In 2024, US-Saudi Arabia goods trade totaled $25.9 billion, with US exports at $13.2 billion, imports at $12.7 billion, and a trade surplus in goods of $443 million.
Examples of these investments include:
- Saudi Arabian DataVolt is moving forward with plans to invest $20 billion in AI data centers and energy infrastructure in the United States.
- Google, DataVolt, Oracle, Salesforce, AMD, and Uber are committing to invest $80 billion in cutting-edge transformative technologies in both countries.
- American companies including Hill International, Jacobs, Parsons, and AECOM are building key infrastructure projects like King Salman International Airport, King Salman Park, The Vault, Qiddiya City, and much more totaling $2 billion in US services exports.
- Additional major exports include GE Vernova’s gas turbines and energy solutions totaling $14.2 billion and Boeing 737-8 passenger aircraft for AviLease totaling $4.8 billion.
- In the healthcare sector, Shamekh IV Solutions, LLC will be investing $5.8 billion, including a plant in Michigan to launch a high-capacity IV fluid facility.
- Investment partnerships include several sector-specific funds with a strong emphasis on US deployment—such as the $5 billion Energy Investment Fund, the $5 billion New Era Aerospace and Defense Technology Fund, and the $4 billion Enfield Sports Global Sports Fund.
Furthermore, the US Department of Energy and the Ministry of Energy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have concluded an agreement for cooperation in the field of energy. This agreement builds upon a strong existing relationship; it will focus collaboration on examining the potential for innovation, development, financing, and deployment of energy infrastructure.
The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Department of Energy of the United States of America have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to collaborate on mining and mineral resources. The agreement contributes to economic development and the diversification and resilience of critical mineral supply chains.
NASA and the Saudi Space Agency have signed an agreement for a CubeSat to fly on NASA’s Artemis II test flight. Saudi Arabia’s CubeSat will measure aspects of space weather at a range of distances from Earth and deploy in high Earth orbit from a spacecraft adapter on the Space Launch System rocket after the Orion spacecraft is safely flying on its own with its crew of four astronauts.
