Saudi Arabia is preparing to admit that journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed in its consulate, it was reported last night.

But the government will claim he died in a botched interrogation that King Salman and Prince Mohammed did not authorise, sources told CNN.

According to the publication, the Saudi Arabian government is preparing a report which will say Khashoggi was supposed to be taken to the kingdom but died in the consulate during interrogation.

CNN said that two sources had leaked the report, which could change' and is 'still being prepared'.

The Saudis will likely claim the alleged murder was carried out 'without clearance and transparency' and that the alleged hit squad of 15 Saudi assassins will be punished, the sources said.

President Donald Trump said last night he has heard about the report but that it may just be a 'rumour.'

'I heard that report, but nobody knows if it's an official report,' he said in Georgia. 'So far, it's just a rumor of a report coming out.'

Today: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (left) arrived in Saudi Arabia to quiz King Salman (right) over the mystery

'I hope you are comfortable here,' the king told Pompeo who responded, 'Thank you for accepting my visit on behalf of President Trump'

Turkish forensic investigators gather on the steps of the Saudi consulate in Istanbul as they prepare to enter the building this evening

The crack team of investigators could be seen marching through the door which Jamal Khashoggi walked through two weeks ago

A group of Saudi security officials prepare to let the Turkish police officers into the building at the center of the scandal

Today, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Saudi Arabia to quiz King Salman over the mystery as Turkish police announced plans to search the Saudi consul's residence in Istanbul as part of a joint investigation.

Turkish media also said that investigators are expected to search the consulate again today after a forensic team entered last night.

This morning Google became the latest company to say it would boycott a business conference in Saudi Arabia next week.

Google said in a statement that Google Cloud Chief Executive Diane Greene would not attend the Future Investment Initiative Summit starting in Riyadh on Tuesday.

Many American companies, including Uber, Viacom and Ford, have pulled out of the three-day conference, known as Davos in the Desert.

Britain's trade secretary Liam Fox and US treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin are due to attend.

Last night, a team of Turkish and Saudi officials entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul for a joint inspection two weeks after Khashoggi went missing.

At least a dozen officials arrived in unmarked police cars at 6pm local time and mingled outside the building before filing inside.

The inspection was agreed after Saudi King Salman and Turkish President Erdogan spoke yesterday for the first time since Turkey accused the Saudis of killing and dismembering Khashoggi who criticised the Saudi crown prince.

Just hours before the forensic inspection, the Saudis let in a team of cleaners armed with several large mops and buckets.

President Trump said in a visit to Georgia on Monday that 'nobody knows' if the Saudi report is real yet

A Turkish crime scene investigation team member inspects the roof of the Consulate General of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul on Monday night

Crime scene officers from the Turkish police investigated every inch of the consulate on Monday night

Turkish police officers gather as they prepare to enter the Saudi Arabia's Consulate as evening draws in on Monday

The team of officers arrived by van and were met by a horde of reporters from the global media as they entered the building

A police escort featuring several motorbikes went ahead of the forensics squad as they rolled up on Monday evening

The team of forensics experts were sent in amid reports that the building has been repainted in the last two weeks

Searching another country's consulate - which is considered foreign soil under the Vienna Convention - is an extraordinary measure which reflects the gravity of the diplomatic crisis.

A Turkish official yesterday claimed the consulate walls have been repainted since the alleged murder and said the Turks don't trust the Saudis not to obfuscate the investigation, reported the Middle Eastern Eye.

On Monday, President Donald Trump speculated 'rogue killers' were to blame after revealing the Saudi king denied any murder plot during a phone conversation between the pair last night.

Speaking to reporters in the White House, Trump said King Salman's denial 'could not have been stronger.'

'He said it very strongly,' Trump said when pressed to say whether he believed the Saudi king.

He added: 'It sounded to me like maybe these could have been rogue killers. Who knows?'

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo travelled to Riyadh on Monday, the State Department said, adding that 'the president has called for a prompt and open investigation.'

It comes after oil prices rose following Saudi Arabia's thinly veiled threat yesterday to cut production if the US imposes sanctions amid growing international tension over the disappearance.

Officers could be seen jumping out of the back of the vehicle and heading towards the busy consulate

Police officers disappeared inside the building and were given license to examine it by Saudi officials

Saudi and Turkish investigators arrive to search the Saudi Arabian consulate

Saudi and Turkish investigators arrive to search the consulate at 6pm local time on Monday

The group (pictured) entered the building at 6pm local time, hours after a cleaning team swept the premises

Britain, Germany and France have jointly called for a 'credible investigation,' Egypt has backed Saudi Arabia and warned of 'false claims' against its ally and Australia's foreign minister has said she is 'deeply concerned'.

Khashoggi, who was notoriously critical of Saudi Arabia's new Crown Prince, entered the consulate on 2 October to get documents to marry his Turkish wife - but has not been seen since.

Turkish officials have said they fear a Saudi hit team killed and dismembered Khashoggi.

Saudi Arabia has called such allegations 'baseless' but has not proved the writer ever left the consulate.

A Saudi source said on Monday that the Crown Prince has ordered an internal investigation of the disappearance.

Britain, Germany and France have jointly called for a 'credible investigation' into the disappearance. Pictured: Officials enter the consulate for the inspection

Saudi and Turkish investigators arrive at the consulate for the joint inspection on Monday

Khashoggi, who was notoriously critical of Saudi Arabia's new Crown Prince, entered the consulate on 2 October. Pictured: Investigators outside on Monday

Tonight's inspection (pictured) was agreed after Saudi King Salman and Turkish President Erdogan spoke yesterday

A team of cleaners entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul today ahead of an inspection by Turkish and Saudi officials

Cleaning personnel wait to enter Saudi Arabia's Consulate in Istanbul on Monday afternoon

Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post reporter who spent much time in the west, on holiday

An official at Turkey's Foreign Ministry announced the inspection this morning. Saudi Arabia then released a statement thanking Turkey for the co-oporation.

It read: 'Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud telephoned his brother Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to thank the president for welcoming the kingdom's proposal to form a joint working group to discuss the disappearance of Saudi citizen Jamal Khashoggi.

'The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques stressed the keenness of the Kingdom on its relations with Turkey as much as the brotherly Republic of Turkey is keen on that and that no one will get undermine the strength of this relationship.

'For his part, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of the Republic of Turkey, appreciated the fraternal, distinguished, historical and close relations between the two countries and the two peoples and his keenness to strengthen and develop them.'

On Saturday, Trump said Saudi Arabia could face 'severe punishment' if it is proven it was involved in Khashoggi's disappearance.

Trump said in a Monday morning tweet that he would send a top U.S. official, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, to Middle East to confront Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in person

Talks: Trump said he had now spoken to King Salman, the Saudi king. He and Melania Trump met the king on their very first foreign trip (pictured) in May 2017

Turkish officials have said they fear a Saudi hit team killed and dismembered Khashoggi. Pictured: Cleaners at the consulate

Saudi Arabia has called such allegations 'baseless' but has not proved the writer ever left the consulate. Pictured: Cleaners at the consulate

A Saudi source said on Monday that the Crown Prince has ordered an internal investigation of the disappearance. Pictured: Cleaners at the consulate

People wait for visa procedures in front of the Saudi consulate in Istanbul before the inspection this evening

Visitors leave the Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul on the day of a joint inspection

Oil prices rise and the Riyal dips On Monday morning Benchmark Brent crude oil jumped by $1.49 a barrel to a high of $81.92. The riyal was quoted at 3.7524 to the US dollar in the spot market early on Monday, its weakest rate since September 2016, Refinitiv data showed. It comes after Saudi Arabia issued a thinly veiled threat to cut oil production if the US imposes sanctions over the disappearance. There are also fears companies will turn away from investing in the Kingdom UKOIL chart by TradingView TradingView Privacy Policy Advertisement

In response on Sunday, in a thinly veiled threat to cut oil production, Saudi Arabia warned that if it 'receives any action, it will respond with greater action, and that the kingdom's economy has an influential and vital role in the global economy.'

'The kingdom affirms its total rejection of any threats and attempts to undermine it, whether by threatening to impose economic sanctions, using political pressures or repeating false accusations,' said the statement, carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency.

Trump has said repeatedly he does not want to halt a proposed $110 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia - as some in Congress have suggested - because it would harm the US economically.

But on Monday, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said: 'We will take stern action with the Saudis if necessary. The United States is the dominant energy player so we're in pretty good shape, in my opinion, with our energy boom to cover any shortfalls. We'll wait and see, but rest assured that when the president says we will take actions if we find out bad outcomes, he means it.'

On Monday Benchmark Brent crude oil jumped by $1.49 a barrel to a high of $81.92 amid fears of diminishing supply, exacerbated by the fact that new US sanctions on Iran come into force on November 4.

Traders Trafigura and Mercuria said Brent could rise to $90 per barrel by Christmas and pass $100 in early 2019.

Phil Flynn, an analyst at Price Futures Group in Chicago,said: 'If the Saudis don't come to the rescue when the Iranian sanctions kick in, the US will really going to be short this market. It's going to be a very undersupplied market. That was the fear that was initially driving prices higher.'

However, some risk premium was taken out and prices dipped when Trump said rogue killers may be responsible.

The Kingdom's currency fell to its lowest level in two years and its international bond prices slipped over fears that foreign investment inflows could shrink.

Saudi media backed up the government's strong statement in television broadcasts and newspaper front pages Monday.

The Arabic-language daily Okaz wrote a headline on Monday in English, warning: 'Don't Test Our Patience.' It showed a clenched fist made of a crowd of people in the country's green color.

Jamal Khashoggi (right) arriving at the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul on October 2. He has not been seen since and Turkey has accused Saudi agents of murdering him

Missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi, pictured in Switzerland in 2011, may have been murdered because he knew too much about the Saudi royal family, one of his friends has said

The Saudi Gazette trumpeted: 'Enough Is Enough,' while the Arab News said: 'Saudi Arabia 'will not be bullied'.'

The Arab News' headline was above a front-page editorial by Dubai-based real-estate tycoon Khalaf al-Habtoor, calling on Gulf Arab nations to boycott international firms now backing out of a planned economic summit in Riyadh later this month.

'Together we must prove we will not be bullied or else, mark my words, once they have finished kicking the kingdom, we will be next in line,' al-Habtoor said.

Already, international business leaders are pulling out of the kingdom's upcoming investment forum, a high-profile event known as 'Davos in the Desert.'

They include the CEO of Uber, a company in which Saudi Arabia has invested billions of dollars; billionaire Richard Branson; JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chief Executive Jamie Dimon; and Ford Motor Co. Executive Chairman Bill Ford.

Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi (pictured)

News that the CEO of Uber, Dara Khosrowshahi, would pull out of the conference drew angry responses across the region.

The foreign minister of the neighboring island kingdom of Bahrain, Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, tweeted Sunday night that there should be a boycott of the ride-hailing app both there and in Saudi Arabia.

Late Sunday, Saudi King Salman spoke by telephone with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about Khashoggi.

Turkey said Erdogan 'stressed the forming of a joint working group to probe the case.' Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, said King Salman thanked Erdogan 'for welcoming the kingdom's proposal' for forming the working group.

The king also said Turkey and Saudi Arabia enjoy close relations and 'that no one will get to undermine the strength of this relationship,' according to a statement on the state-run Saudi Press Agency.

While Turkey and the kingdom differ on political issues, Saudi investments are a crucial lifeline for Ankara amid trouble with its national currency, the Turkish lira.

Prince Mohammed, King Salman's son, has aggressively pitched the kingdom as a destination for foreign investment. But Khashoggi's disappearance has led several business leaders and media outlets to back out of the upcoming investment conference in Riyadh called the Future Investment Initiative.

Khashoggi has written extensively for the Post about Saudi Arabia, criticizing its war in Yemen, its recent diplomatic spat with Canada and its arrest of women's rights activists after the lifting of a ban on women driving. Those policies are all seen as initiatives of the crown prince.