Photo: Kevin Lamarque/ReutersWashington: The United States is close to completing a series of arms deals for Saudi Arabia totaling more than $100 billion, a senior White House official said on Friday, a week ahead of President Donald Trump’s planned visit to Riyadh. The official, who on the condition of anonymity, said the arms package could end up surpassing more than $300 billion over a decade to help Saudi Arabia boost its defensive capabilities while still maintaining US ally Israel’s qualitative military edge over its neighbors. The package is being developed to coincide with Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia. It was reported last week that Washington was pushing through contracts for tens of billions of dollars in arms sales to Saudi Arabia, some new, others already in the pipeline, ahead of Trump’s visit. Besides Saudi Arabia, Trump’s first foreign trip will also include visits to Israel, the Vatican, Brussels for a Nato summit and Sicily for a Group of Seven summit.

Source: Mint May 13, 2017 12:11 UTC