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Trump Secures $600 Billion Saudi Investment Pledge on Gulf Tour

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and US President Donald Trump shake hands during a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2025. (Reuters)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and US President Donald Trump shake hands during a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2025. (Reuters)
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Trump Secures $600 Billion Saudi Investment Pledge on Gulf Tour

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and US President Donald Trump shake hands during a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2025. (Reuters)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and US President Donald Trump shake hands during a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2025. (Reuters)

US President Donald Trump secured a $600 billion commitment from Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to invest in the United States as he kicked off a Gulf tour in Riyadh where he was welcomed by Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

The leaders signed an agreement on energy, defense, mining and other areas, which the White House said will “build economic ties that will endure for generations to come.”

“The deals celebrated today are historic and transformative for both countries and represent a new golden era of partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia,” it added in a statement.

Among the agreements secured on Tuesday: Saudi Arabian DataVolt is moving forward with plans to invest $20 billion in AI data centers and energy infrastructure in the United States.

Google, DataVolt, Oracle, Salesforce, AMD, and Uber are committing to invest $80 billion in cutting-edge transformative technologies in both countries, said the White House.

American companies including Hill International, Jacobs, Parsons, and AECOM are building key infrastructure projects like King Salman International Airport, King Salman Park, The Vault, Qiddiya City, and much more totaling $2 billion in US services exports.

Additional major exports include GE Vernova’s gas turbines and energy solutions totaling $14.2 billion and Boeing 737-8 passenger aircraft for AviLease totaling $4.8 billion.

Investment partnerships include several sector-specific funds with a strong emphasis on US deployment, such as the $5 billion Energy Investment Fund, the $5 billion New Era Aerospace and Defense Technology Fund, and the $4 billion Enfield Sports Global Sports Fund.

Trump had arrived in the Kingdom earlier on Tuesday on his first overseas trip since his reelection. He will next visit the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

Saudi Arabia and the United States also signed the largest defense sales agreement in history, worth nearly early $142 billion.

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Arab World

Lebanon: Security Forces Continue Crackdown on Individuals Carrying Unauthorized Arms

Mourners gather around the Hezbollah-draped coffins of people killed in Israeli airstrikes on Baalbek, during their funeral in the city of Baalbek, in Bekaa valley, Lebanon, 05 March 2026. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH
Mourners gather around the Hezbollah-draped coffins of people killed in Israeli airstrikes on Baalbek, during their funeral in the city of Baalbek, in Bekaa valley, Lebanon, 05 March 2026. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH
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Lebanon: Security Forces Continue Crackdown on Individuals Carrying Unauthorized Arms

Mourners gather around the Hezbollah-draped coffins of people killed in Israeli airstrikes on Baalbek, during their funeral in the city of Baalbek, in Bekaa valley, Lebanon, 05 March 2026. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH
Mourners gather around the Hezbollah-draped coffins of people killed in Israeli airstrikes on Baalbek, during their funeral in the city of Baalbek, in Bekaa valley, Lebanon, 05 March 2026. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH

A judicial source said 23 people, including Hezbollah members and civilians, have been arrested so far following a government decision to ban military actions by the party.

The arrests have been made across Lebanon after individual weapons, machine guns, and various types of military equipment were found in their possession.

The detainees are being questioned by army intelligence and the military police, under the supervision of the government commissioner to the military court, Judge Claude Ghanem, the source told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Investigations with five suspects have concluded and they have been referred to the military judiciary ahead of legal proceedings.

The shift extends beyond the number of arrests to the procedures themselves. Before the government ban, courts often limited action to confiscating the weapon and leaving the armed individual under investigation or releasing him after a pledge not to repeat the violation.

That approach has now changed. Authorities confiscate the weapon and detain the person regardless of identity or political affiliation, which is a clear sign of official determination to enforce the government decision without exception, including for Hezbollah members.

Despite the tougher stance, the identity of those launching rockets and drones toward Israel remains unknown. Security agencies are working to identify those responsible for the launches, which constitute a direct breach of the cabinet decision.

No arrests have been announced in connection with rocket or drone launches so far, security sources told Asharq Al-Awsat. Arrests linked to the transportation of weapons, however, are occurring daily as part of a wide security plan covering all regions.

In recent hours, security agencies apprehended individuals transporting a Kornet anti-tank missile, a destructive weapon capable of striking armored targets with precision.

The seizures reflect growing official and public concern, highlighting the scale of the security challenge and the pressure on authorities to enforce the government’s strict decision.

Most of those detained were stopped while traveling with convoys of displaced people from the south and the Bekaa. Security sources said the presence of armed individuals among displaced civilians poses a risk to the safety of shelters and raises concern among host communities.

Authorities fear such individuals could be targeted by Israeli strikes inside shelters, while tensions could also arise with host communities in Beirut, Mount Lebanon and other areas.

Judicial and security agencies have intensified coordination at the highest levels. Sources from both sides say investigations are exploring every possible lead that could expose networks involved in transporting weapons or launching rockets.

The military prosecution is closely monitoring the preliminary investigations but is carefully reviewing reports before filing charges, the judicial source said.

Launching judicial proceedings requires evidence strong enough to support suspicions, a process that can delay the announcement of results and the full number of arrests.

Arab World

Israel Far-right Minister Warns Beirut Suburb Faces Devastation Like Gaza

Fires erupt from buildings damaged in an early morning Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs on March 3, 2026. (Photo by AFP)
Fires erupt from buildings damaged in an early morning Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs on March 3, 2026. (Photo by AFP)
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Israel Far-right Minister Warns Beirut Suburb Faces Devastation Like Gaza

Fires erupt from buildings damaged in an early morning Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs on March 3, 2026. (Photo by AFP)
Fires erupt from buildings damaged in an early morning Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs on March 3, 2026. (Photo by AFP)

Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich warned Thursday that a southern Beirut suburb, a stronghold of Hezbollah, will face devastation similar to Gaza after the Israeli military told residents to evacuate.

"Very soon Dahiyeh will resemble Khan Yunis," Smotrich said, referring to a southern Gaza city which has been heavily damaged by Israeli bombardments during the two-year war with Hamas, AFP reported.

"Hezbollah made a mistake, and it will pay a heavy price. We are striking at the head of the octopus in Iran, and at the same time we will sever Hezbollah's arm," he said in a video statement as he visited Israel's northern border.

Arab World

HRW Says Israel's Lebanon Evacuation Risks Violating Laws of War

Smoke rises after an Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, Lebanon, March 4, 2026. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
Smoke rises after an Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, Lebanon, March 4, 2026. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
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HRW Says Israel's Lebanon Evacuation Risks Violating Laws of War

Smoke rises after an Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, Lebanon, March 4, 2026. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
Smoke rises after an Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, Lebanon, March 4, 2026. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi

Human Rights Watch said on Thursday that the Israeli military's call for residents of vast areas of southern Lebanon to evacuate raised "serious risks of violations of the laws of war".

Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war when Iran-backed Hezbollah began firing rockets at Israel with Israel conducting air strikes across the country and its troops pushing into border towns.

On Thursday, Israel renewed its warning to residents of hundreds of square kilometres (miles) of southern Lebanon to evacuate because of military action, AFP reported.

"Calling on everyone who lives south of the Litani (River) to evacuate immediately raises serious legal and humanitarian red flags and fears for the safety of civilians," said Ramzi Kaiss, Lebanon researcher at Human Rights Watch.

"How are older people, the sick and people with disabilities going to be able to evacuate immediately? And how will their safety be guaranteed as they leave?" he said in a statement from the rights group.

HRW said "the sweeping nature" of Israel's call raised "concerns that their purpose is not to protect civilians", adding that the area was home to hundreds of thousands of people.

The evacuation call "raises serious risks of violations of the laws of war", it added.

Lebanese authorities said dozens of people have been killed and tens of thousands displaced from their homes since Monday.