The agreement was made during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s three-day visit to the UK, but does not yet constitute a confirmed order.
Moving closer to a full agreement is positive news for manufacturer BAE, which has seen Typhoon orders cool in recent years. In 2017, the firm axed 1,400 jobs across its military air division as a result.Around 17,000 jobs in Lancashire are directly connected to the product of military aircraft, through BAE's sites in Samlesbury and Warton. A BAE Systems statement read: "This is a positive step towards agreeing a contract for our valued partner. We are committed to supporting the Kingdom as it modernises the Saudi Armed Forces and develops key industrial capabilities critical to the delivery of Vision 2030.”