President Donald Trump on Tuesday designated Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally, reviving a decades-old strategic partnership as the two countries signed sweeping agreements on arms sales, civil nuclear cooperation, artificial intelligence, and critical minerals.

The designation signals a return to traditional US-Saudi ties. While it doesn't provide the mutual defense guarantees enjoyed by NATO members, it grants the kingdom significant economic, military, and defense benefits, a status the US reserves for countries of strategic importance outside the Atlantic alliance. Pakistan received this designation from Bush post 9/11 in 2004.

The meeting underscored Trump's determination to prioritize ties between the world's biggest economy and its top oil exporter, even as the international o

See Full Page