Fact check: What was the total value of US arms sales to Saudi Arabia during the Obama administration?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, the total value of US arms sales to Saudi Arabia during the Obama administration was approximately $112-115 billion. Multiple sources confirm this figure, with ^[1] and ^[1] both reporting that the Obama administration offered Saudi Arabia more than $115 billion in weapons, other military equipment, and training between 2009 and 2016. Source ^[2] provides a slightly more specific figure, stating that President Obama sold the kingdom $112 billion in weapons over eight years.

The analyses reveal that these sales were structured through 42 separate deals ^[1], making the Obama administration the largest arms dealer to Saudi Arabia in the 71-year US-Saudi alliance ^[1]. Importantly, ^[3] notes that Saudi Arabia was the largest recipient of Obama's foreign arms sales, which totaled more than $278 billion across all countries during his eight-year presidency.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several critical pieces of context are missing from the original question:

• Delivery vs. Approval Distinction: The analyses reveal that there's an important difference between arms sales offered/approved and actual deliveries. Source ^[3] notes that "only about half of those approvals have resulted in actual contracts," while ^[1] mentions that "the majority of the equipment [was] yet to be delivered" at the time of reporting.
• Comparison with Subsequent Administration: The analyses show that the Trump administration's 2017 arms deal was worth $110 billion immediately and $350 billion over 10 years ^{[4] [5]}, providing important context for evaluating the scale of Obama-era sales.
• Broader Arms Export Context: Source ^[3] reveals that Obama's total foreign arms sales of $278 billion "more than doubled Bush's," indicating a significant escalation in US arms exports during this period.
• Program Structure: Source ^[6] mentions the Foreign Military Sales program framework, noting $12 billion in potential deals with $9.5 billion going to Middle Eastern countries, though this doesn't specify Saudi Arabia exclusively.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself appears neutral and factual, seeking specific numerical information without apparent bias. However, the question's framing could potentially lead to incomplete understanding if not contextualized properly:

• The question focuses solely on dollar amounts without addressing the delivery timeline or actual contract completion rates, which the analyses show were significantly lower than the approved amounts ^[3].
• By asking only about the Obama administration, the question might inadvertently isolate this period from the broader historical context of US-Saudi arms relationships, potentially missing the continuity of such sales across multiple administrations.
• The question doesn't distinguish between different types of military assistance (weapons, equipment, training), which the analyses show were bundled together in the $115 billion figure ^[1].