Saudi Arabia expanded its strategic ties with the United States by formally joining the Defense Department National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program during a ceremony in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, yesterday.
Military leaders from both nations signed a declaration to integrate Saudi Arabia into the SPP, aligning the Saudi Arabian armed forces with the Indiana and Oklahoma National Guards in a trilateral partnership established last year.
The 115-nation SPP strengthens strategic bonds through joint military training, exercises and exchanges to enhance collective readiness, reestablish deterrence and foster enduring relationships among troops.
"Today, we formalize a partnership that reflects the deep strategic relationship between our nations, built on a shared commitment to global security, trust and decades of cooperation," said Air Force Gen. Steve Nordhaus, the 30th chief of the National Guard Bureau, during the signing ceremony.
The U.S.-Saudi alliance, rooted in economic and security cooperation since 1940, emphasizes counterterrorism and regional stability. Saudi Arabia's strategic location, capable military and leadership in the Arab and Islamic worlds make it a vital global partner.
Additionally, Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, an ambitious plan to diversify its economy and transform its society, includes significant investments in defense modernization and technology.
"With this signing, the Indiana and the Oklahoma National Guard embark on a journey with the Saudi Arabian armed forces to share expertise, promote mutual understanding and advance our shared commitment to global security," Nordhaus said.
He was joined by Gen. Fayyad Al-Ruwaili, Saudi Arabia's chief of general staff; Army Maj. Gen. Thomas Mancino, Oklahoma's adjutant general; and Army Brig. Gen. Lawrence Muennich, Indiana's adjutant general, in signing the declaration that will launch formalized joint training exchanges.
"The partnership with the United States National Guard marks a historic milestone in the trajectory of our defense cooperation," Al-Ruwaili said. "It embodies our unwavering commitment to developing joint capabilities that strengthen regional security and stability, while firmly establishing the principles of combined military operations in pursuit of a more secure and prosperous future."
The SPP agreement follows President Donald J. Trump's May visit to Riyadh, where he announced $600 billion in Saudi investments in technology and defense, including a $142 billion defense sales deal — the largest in U.S. history. This deal will equip Saudi Arabia with advanced warfighting systems and services from over a dozen U.S. defense firms, reinforcing its regional security role. Saudi Arabia, the largest buyer of U.S. foreign military sales, allocates 8.1% of its gross domestic product to defense — more than any other Middle Eastern nation and among the highest globally.
Elbridge Colby, undersecretary of defense for policy, welcomed Saudi Arabia's efforts to strengthen its self-defense capabilities and to make greater contributions to achieving shared regional objectives in a readout from the July 29-30 U.S.-Saudi strategic joint planning committee.
Vision 2030's focus on modernizing the military, developing domestic defense industries and strengthening cybersecurity further enhances Saudi Arabia's strategic importance.
The SPP is a DOD program with a cost-effective model managed by the National Guard Bureau, guided by State Department foreign policy goals and executed by the state adjutants general in support of combatant commander and U.S. chief of mission security cooperation objectives and department policy goals.
Through the SPP, the National Guard of every state, territory and the District of Columbia is partnered with nations on every continent but Antarctica. Last year, National Guard elements executed roughly 1,000 SPP engagements, at just 1% of the U.S. security cooperation budget. These engagements range from troop-to-troop best practice exchanges to unit-level training exercises, enabling guardsmen and their partner-nation counterparts to share and develop expertise, enhancing lethality and interoperability.
"Our ability to train and operate together is a decisive advantage as we share the burden of regional defense and global security with our allies and partners," said Nordhaus, a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The National Guard is the operational reserve of the Army and the Air Force. Its 433,000 soldiers and airmen bring significant experience in disaster relief, domestic operations, homeland defense, warfighting and partnerships — local to global.
"The SPP will enable Indiana and Oklahoma National Guard members to work side by side with our Saudi partners and learn from each other," said Alison Dilworth, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim to Saudi Arabia. "The possibilities of what we can do together are endless."
The Indiana and Oklahoma National Guard each offer unique capabilities in cybersecurity, disaster response, aviation maintenance, medical response and logistics — all of which provide avenues for exchange and collaborative training.
"The Oklahoma National Guard is proud to join forces with our partners in the Indiana National Guard to welcome the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the State Partnership Program," Mancino said. "We are honored to stand alongside our new partners to share knowledge, foster long-term relationships and enhance capacity to respond to shared challenges."
"I am extremely proud of the Indiana National Guard for being selected to partner with a strategic ally in the Middle East," Muennich said. "The National Guard is a global force with local roots, and we're excited for this new opportunity to learn alongside our Saudi partners and enhance our readiness."
The Saudi-Indiana-Oklahoma partnership began last November with a cybersecurity, disaster response and critical infrastructure protection exchange in Riyadh. This April, joint training focused on counter-uncrewed aerial systems operations, border security and maritime domain awareness — critical to Saudi Arabia's sovereignty over its coastal waters.
The Saudi Arabian armed forces also seek to further develop its enlisted and noncommissioned officer corps.
This January, a mobile training team of U.S. airmen assigned to Air Forces Central led the Royal Saudi Air Force in its inaugural chief leadership course. The course also featured discussions on the RSAF's new partnership with Indiana and Oklahoma.
While in Riyadh, Senior Enlisted Advisor John Raines, SEA to the CNGB, participated in a senior enlisted leader forum alongside Ahmed Al-Mutairi, the Saudi Arabian armed forces' first senior enlisted advisor to underscore the critical contributions of the U.S. military's enlisted corps.
"Our enlisted corps is the backbone of our military," Raines said. "The character of warfare is changing rapidly, which will require speedy decisions at a much lower echelon."
Across the State Partnership Program enterprise, National Guard troops have worked to develop and professionalize partner nation enlisted corps, which Al-Mutairi pointed to as another opportunity for collaboration.
"We are excited for this partnership," he said. "You are our friends and our second country."
Planning is already underway for future engagements, which will occur between troops from each country, both in Saudi Arabia and in the United States.
"We're excited for this new partnership, which will boost our readiness in our core missions to support the warfighter, defend the homeland and build partnerships," Nordhaus said. "This partnership is a force multiplier for security and stability that will make us stronger together and stronger tomorrow."