Saudi Arabia is seeking to buy more than 1.1 million rounds of ammunition from the United States through a Foreign Military Sales deal.

The possible sale, approved by the State Department, is worth $500 million.

Earlier this week the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which manages the FMS program, informed Congress that Saudi Arabia was seeking to procure 600 advanced PAC-3 Patriot air-defense interceptors and associated gear for $5.4 billion.

"This proposed sale (of ammunition) will contribute to the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to improve the security of a strategic partner which has been, and continues to be, an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East," DSCA told Congress.

"The proposed sale will resupply the Royal Saudi Land Forces with the munitions it needs to continue to protect Saudi Arabia's southern border from ongoing attacks by hostile Houthi militia and Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula forces.

The Houthi militia is a Shiite Islamist group in Yeman opposed to the country's government. It is backed by Iran.

The DSCA said the new proposed deal for Saudi Arabia is comprised of one million 430/M430A1 40mm high-explosive dual purpose cartridges, 60,000 M456A1 105mm high-explosive anti-tank tracers, and 60,000 M107 155mm high explosive projectiles.

Additional items included in the proposed sales package include M62 7.62mm 4 Ball/1 tracer linked cartridges, .50 Cal cartridges, M792 25mm rounds, M789 30mm cartridges, and a variety of other rounds, propellants, mines and hand grenades.

Much of the requested ammunition will come from U.S. Army stocks as well as through new procurement.