Trump on way to Riyadh, planning to sell $350 billion arms: Pak media

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Islamabad, May 18, IRNA -- President Donald Trump will announce a mammoth US arms package in Riyadh for Saudi Arabia that could reach $350 billion, a Pakistani media report said.

It says final details of the largest arms-sales deals in history are still being worked out, but the package will include between $98 billion and $128 billion in arms sales and over 10 years, total sales could reach $350 billion.

When President Trump will arrive in Riyadh this week, he will also lay out his vision for a new regional security architecture White House officials call an "Arab NATO".

Behind the scenes, the Trump administration and Saudi Arabia have been conducting extensive negotiations, led by White House senior adviser Jared Kushner and Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Reports from the region about early discussions of the project said that in addition to Saudi Arabia, initial participants in the coalition would include the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt and Jordan, with the United States playing an organizing and supporting role while staying outside the alliance.

272**1723**2050