President Donald Trump on Tuesday said Saudi Arabia was being designated as a "major, non-NATO ally." The announcement came as the US President hosted Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for a gala dinner at the White House.

"We're taking our military cooperation to even greater heights by formally designating Saudi Arabia as a major, non-NATO ally, which is something that is very important to them," Trump said at the dinner with the Saudi Crown Prince.

Trump announced the move while speaking at the dinner, saying, "And I'm just telling you now for the first time, because they wanted to keep a little secret for tonight," referring to the designation, which has previously been granted to only 19 other countries.

The move marks a major upgrade in defence ties between Washington and Riyadh, placing Saudi Arabia among a small group of nations that enjoy privileged security cooperation with the United States.

CBS News reported that the designation could open the door to deeper joint military initiatives and enhanced interoperability between the two countries.

It is also viewed as a symbolic step reflecting closer strategic alignment, with US President saying it would take “our military cooperation to even greater heights.”

Saudi Arabia will now join 20 other nations holding major non-NATO ally status, including Israel, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Egypt, Tunisia and Jordan.

The announcement comes shortly after the US signed a sweeping set of agreements with Saudi Arabia covering civil nuclear cooperation, artificial intelligence and defence, including Tuesday’s long-anticipated approval of the F-35 fighter jet sale.

In a statement, the White House said both sides had finalised a Joint Declaration on the Completion of Negotiations on Civil Nuclear Energy Cooperation, creating the legal foundation for a “decades-long, multi-billion-dollar partnership built on strong non-proliferation standards.”

The US has also cleared a “major defence sale package” that includes future deliveries of advanced F-35 aircraft, despite long-standing concerns raised by Israel.

According to a White House factsheet, the suite of agreements will deepen the US–Saudi strategic partnership, create new opportunities for American workers and strengthen regional security.