Why is the US lifting its ban on offensive weapons sales to Saudi Arabia?

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The US government has announced that it is reversing a three-year-old policy, lifting a ban on the sale of offensive weapons to Saudi Arabia. The move signals the potential for a significant multi-billion dollar arms and support deal with the kingdom.

The ban, originally imposed during the Yemen conflict, restricted the sale of certain air-to-ground munitions to Saudi Arabia. However, the US State Department has now confirmed that it is lifting this suspension.

A senior official from the department noted, “We will consider new transfers on a typical case-by-case basis consistent with the Conventional Arms Transfer Policy,” as reported by Reuters.

The Biden administration briefed Congress on the decision, with a congressional aide indicating that arms sales could resume as early as this month. Under US law, major international weapons deals must undergo Congressional review before final approval.

A shift in strategy

The decision to lift the ban comes in the wake of what the US government describes as significant improvements in Saudi Arabia’s efforts to mitigate civilian harm during military operations. “We note the positive steps that the Saudi Ministry of Defence has taken over the past three years to substantially improve their civilian harm mitigation processes, in part thanks to the work of US trainers and advisors,” said a State Department official.

State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel provided further context during a news briefing, stating, “As part of this policy, our administration froze the sale of certain classes of offensive weapons, while also maintaining sales of systems to the kingdom required to defend itself from attack. We also always made clear that the freeze on certain classes of weapons was conditional, and it was based on Saudi Arabia’s policy towards Yemen and efforts to improve civilian harm mitigation measures.”

Patel added, “The Saudis since that time have met their end of the deal, and we are prepared to meet ours, which means returning these cases through regular order, with appropriate congressional notification and consultation.”

The lifting of the ban pertains specifically to certain types of air-to-ground munitions, with future transfers to be assessed on a case-by-case basis. The State Department’s decision reflects the administration’s broader commitment to maintaining and strengthening the US-Saudi defence partnership, Patel added.

A State Department factsheet on the US-Saudi relationship underscores the strategic importance of this partnership, stating, “Working with Saudi Arabia to ensure regional stability remains a pillar of our bilateral relationship. The US is the top defence supplier for Saudi Arabia, and the Saudi defence establishment remains the single largest US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customer, with cases valued at more than $140bn.”

The document further highlights the shared interest in Gulf security and the deterrence of threats from foreign or regional powers.

The US aims to advance this security partnership through defence sales that support a more integrated and regionally networked air and missile defence architecture, joint military exercises, and efforts to counter the proliferation of unmanned aerial systems and missiles to non-state actors.

In the coming months, the US is eyeing potential weapons sales to Saudi Arabia that could total upwards of $3bn.

Notable weapons deals that have recently been notified to Congress include:

July 23: A potential $2.8bn sale to Saudi Arabia for logistics and services in support of various aircraft, including the KC-130J, C-130, E-3, RE-3, KE-3, KA 350, Bell 212, and Bell 412.

April 30: A potential $250m sale to Saudi Arabia for a blanket order covering the training of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces.

April 10: A potential $101.1m sale to Saudi Arabia for information distribution systems.

These developments underline the continuing and evolving nature of the US-Saudi defence relationship. The US has over 2,700 troops stationed in the kingdom, focusing on training and advising Saudi armed forces and protecting its interests in the region.

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