Arms trade

Concerns Over Yemen as Saudi Arabia Agrees to Buy $7 Billion in Weapons From U.S. Firms

Saudi Arabia has agreed to buy about $7 billion worth of precision guided munitions from U.S. defense contractors, sources familiar with the matter said, a deal that some lawmakers may object to over American weapons having contributed to civilian deaths in the Saudi campaign in Yemen.

Raytheon (RTN, -0.57%) and Boeing (BA, -0.72%) are the companies selected, the sources said, in a deal that was part of a $110 billion weapons agreement that coincided with President Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia in May.

Both companies declined comment on the weapons sale.

Arms sales to the kingdom and other Gulf Cooperation Council member states have become increasingly contentious in the U.S. Congress, which must approve such sales.

The U.S. State Department has yet to formally notify Congress of the precision guided munitions deal.