Trump Administration Authorizes Raytheon for Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia
- December 25, 2020
- Posted by: Quatro Strategies
- Category: Defense
US State Department notified the Congress that it is moving forward with the $478m worth of arms sales to Saudi Arabia. The sale includes 7,500 precision-guided missiles. State Department will issue a licence to Raytheon, which will sell the missiles directly to Saudi Government. The deal is expected to be completed before President Trump leaves office on Jan. 20.
Last year, the US Government approved an $8.1bn arms sale to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, declaring an “emergency” in order to bypass Congress and finalize the deal.
Human rights groups heavily criticised the weapons sale. The groups said the arms were being used by Riyadh in the Yemeni Civil War. UN describes the conflict in Yemen as the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.
President-elect Joe Biden has previously stated that he would reassess US’s relations with Saudi Arabia. The notification to Congress comes a month before Biden takes office.
The Trump administration also recently approved a weapons sale to the UAE, which included drones, F-35 jets and munitions worth $10 bn.
Get your daily Business Brief
Business Brief delivers the latest insights straight to your inbox
You'll get daily industry insights on
Energy, Cleantech, Oil & Gas, Mining, Defense, Aviation, Construction, Transportation, Online Retail, Bigtech, Finance and Politics of Business
Read more insights
Pompeo Hints At More Sanctions Against Chinese Apps
US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, said President Trump’s executive orders against WeChat and TikTok may be even broader after his meeting with Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis. Pompeo did not elaborate on which mobile apps or companies could be targeted.
Albemarle’s German Operations Hinge on EU Decision
Albemarle, one of the world’s leading lithium producers, could be forced to stop operations in its plant in Germany if the EU labels the battery metal as a hazardous substance, which would change the way lithium is processed and stored.
Lynas to Invest A$500 Million in Western Australia Rare Earths Project
Australia’s Lynas Rare Earths unveiled plans to invest A$500 million to expand capacity at its Mt. Weld mine located in Western Australia. The miner aims to meet market demand for rare-earth materials. Mt. Weld mine contains deposits of rare-earth elements neodymium (Nd) and praseodymium (Pr), both of which are in high demand for making magnets used in electric vehicles (EVs) and wind energy equipment.