ARABS-ISRAEL - Sept. 8 - Saudi Arabia In US$2.7bn Arms Deal.Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia (sä  `dē ərā`bēə, sou`–, sô–), officially Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, kingdom (2005 est. pop. puts in an order for US$2.7bn in military hardware and
support from the US to help it reinforce its national guard and air
force. The largest part of the deal, worth an estimated US$1.6bn,will
provide the Saudi air force with flight simulators flight simulator, device providing a controlled environment in which a flight trainee can experience conditions approximating those of actual flight. A simulator generally consists of an enclosure housing a working replica of the interior of the cockpit of an , parts and technical
services. (Under US law, the military sales will need to be approved by
Congress.) Analysts believe the deal is as good as signed, with the
Defence Department emphasising Saudi Arabia's status as a highly
valued ally. A Pentagon PentagonHuge five-sided building (1941–43) in Arlington, Va., that is the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense. Designed by George Edwin Bergstrom, it was, on its completion, the world's largest office building, covering 34 acres (14 hectares) and offering statement says: "This proposed sale will contribute to the national security of the US by improving the security of a friendly country which is an important force for political stability and economic progress in the ME". The Saudi based company, Al Salam aircraft - 50% of which is owned by Boeing - is believed to be a prime contender for much of the work. The package also includes a US$416m deal to provide light-armoured vehicles, and a US$690m maintenance and training contract for the Saudi fleet of F-15s built by US air company Boeing. (Such deals have been made in the past, and it is mere coincidence Coincidence is the noteworthy alignment of two or more events or circumstances without obvious causal connection. The word is derived from the Latin co- ("in", "with", "together") and incidere ("to fall on"). that the details have emerged in advance of the OPEC OPEC: see Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. OPEC in full Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries Multinational organization established in 1960 to coordinate the petroleum production and export policies of its summit in Vienna. The US has been putting pressure on Saudi Arabia to increase its oil production, thereby lowering the price of oil.) |
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