The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has signed a memorandum of intent with the UK Government to purchase 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multi-role fighter jets.

The memorandum of intent has been signed during Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to the UK.

In a statement, BAE Systems said: “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.”

The new order, with a potential value of approximately £10bn, will help sustain job opportunities at BAE Systems after the company announced 1,400 job cuts in October, reported the Independent.



“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.”

The visit has also seen a number of agreements signed between the two countries to boost trade and investment.

In December, the company signed a £5bn deal to deliver 24 jets to Qatar.

Founded by four major countries, Germany, Spain, the UK, and Italy, Europe’s Eurofighter Typhoon programme is being carried out by the Eurofighter consortium, which comprises BAE Systems, Airbus Defence and Space, and Leonardo – Aircraft Division.

Eurofighter Typhoon is an advanced flexible, agile and enduring multi-role combat aircraft that offers simultaneously deployable air-to-air and air-to-surface capabilities.