WASHINGTON: The United States and Saudi Arabia are close to a deal on a bilateral agreement after the US national security adviser made significant progress in talks with Saudis over the weekend, the White House said on Monday.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said the two sides are “closer than we’ve ever been” on an agreement that is now “near final”.

US and Saudi negotiators are seeking to complete work on a bilateral accord that would likely call for formal US guarantees to defend the kingdom as well as Saudi access to more advanced US weaponry, in return for halting Chinese arms purchases and restricting Beijing’s investment in the country.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan held talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and other Saudi officials over the weekend where progress was made, Kirby said.

Washington plans to present the deal to Israeli premier before he decides to normalise ties with Riyadh

The US-Saudi security accord is also expected to involve sharing emerging technologies with Riyadh, including artificial intelligence.

Once the deal is completed, it would be part of a broad deal presented to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to decide whether to make concessions to secure a deal for normalisation of relations with Saudi Arabia.

Kirby said the timing of a US-Saudi deal was unclear. He said an ultimate objective for Biden is a Palestinian state, but amid the Gaza crisis, no deal on a state is likely any time soon.

“Of course, the (US) president remains committed to a two-state solution. He recognises that you know, that’s not something we’re going to see any anytime in the future,” he said.

Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2024