Saudi Arabia to buy US ‘smart bombs’

US PRESIDENT George W Bush, on his first visit to this oil-rich kingdom, delivered a huge arms sale yesterday to a key ally in a region where the US casts neighbouring Iran as a menace to stability.

Mr Bush’s talks with Saudi King Abdullah, which began over dinner and were continuing with late-night meetings, also were expected to cover peace between Israelis and Palestinians and democracy in the Middle East.

Coinciding with Mr Bush’s trip, the Bush administration in Washington notified Congress yesterday that it will offer Saudi Arabia the chance to buy sophisticated joint direct attack munitions — or “smart bomb” — technology and related equipment, the State Department said. The administration envisions the transfer of 900 of the precision-guided bomb kits, worth $123 million (€82m), that would give the kingdom’s armed forces highly accurate targeting abilities.