Trump says US will sell F-35 stealth jets to Saudis as Prince Mohammed visits

Donald Trump is to welcome Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Mohammed bin Salman to Washington on Tuesday, in a red-carpet visit expected to result in the sale of highly advanced US F-35 fighter jets to the Gulf monarchy. The crown prince’s arrival in Washington will be his first White House visit since the 2018 killing of the Washington Post journalist and critic of the kingdom Jamal Khashoggi. The CIA later determined Khashoggi’s murder was approved by the crown prince, leading to global condemnation. Trump has rehabilitated the relationship, and is expected to announce billions of dollars in deals with the 40-year-old prince, whose father, King Salman, is 89 and has retreated from public view. The US and Saudi leaders will hold discussions and end the day with a White House dinner, organised by the first lady, Melania Trump. “They have been a great ally,” Trump said of the Saudis on the eve of the visit, during which, he said, Washington would be selling F-35 stealth fighters. They are primarily manufactured by the US defence contractor Lockheed Martin and cost about $80m to $110m each. “The Saudis will be spending a lot of money tomorrow on the US,” a senior White House official told Reuters on Monday. Khashoggi’s widow said it was “very painful” to hear about the trip. Hanan Elatr Khashoggi told CNN that she had written to Trump asking for his help in reaching a financial settlement with Prince Mohammed. “I hope they look at the American values of human rights and [democracy] besides any economic ties and selling weapons,” she said. “There is something missing,” she added, which she said was “looking for real justice”. Khashoggi’s dismembered body has never been found and Saudi authorities deny high-level involvement. The sale of the jets is also significant as it would mark the first delivery of the advanced fighter jets to a Middle Eastern state apart from Israel. For years, the US has exclusively supplied Israel with advanced weapons to give the country an advantage against its neighbours. A previous deal with the United Arab Emirates was also suspended, with concerns the technology could leak to China. Related: US will label supposed Venezuelan drug cartel ‘headed by Maduro’ as terrorist organization But the politics of the Middle East have changed this century, with Gulf monarchies shifting their focus to Iran, which Riyadh considers its chief regional foe. Trump mentioned the Israeli-US bombardment of Iran this summer when talking about his friendship with Saudi Arabia. Still, some pro-Israel US Republicans are wary about upsetting the so-called “qualitative military edge” of Israel over its neighbours. In his first term, Trump pushed for formal commercial and diplomatic ties between Israel and Bahrain, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates through an effort labelled the Abraham accords. Saudi Arabia, the largest Arab economy and the birthplace of Islam, has not signed the accords but cooperates unofficially with Israel. In addition to the F-35 sales, it has been reported that Saudi Arabia will announce a multibillion-dollar investment in US artificial intelligence infrastructure. Riyadh has sought to diversify its economy away from oil. Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report