Saudi in US$8.9b deal with Britain for Eurofighter

Debmey

Posted: 17 September 2007 2248 hrs
         
         
Photos         1 of 1                        

A Eurofighter takes off during the Farnborough Airshow in 2004.
           
         

RIYADH : Saudi Arabia announced on Monday it has signed a 4.43 billion pound (8.86 billion dollar) deal to buy 72 Eurofighter planes, after tortuous negotiations on one of the largest ever British export orders.

"The two governments on Tuesday (September 11) signed the contract for the acquisition of (72) planes for a cost of 4.43 billion pounds," a defence ministry spokesman told the state news agency SPA.

He said the deal follows an August 2006 agreement in principle and "a memorandum of understanding between the London and Riyadh governments to modernise the Saudi armed forces as part of their close defence ties".

The memorandum, inked in December 2005, also provides for "a transfer of technology, investment in Saudi military industry and aviation training for Saudis", the spokesman said.

Saudi Arabia is buying the aircraft at the same price they are sold to Britain's Royal Air Force, he added without giving further details.

The Times newspaper in London reported on September 7 that BAE Systems was poised to clinch the deal to supply 72 Eurofighter Typhoon jets to the oil-rich Gulf Arab kingdom.

It had been feared that the deal would be scuppered because of a British probe into allegations Saudi Arabia took bribes from BAE under a military-plane deal struck between London and Riyadh more than 20 years ago.

Britain's Serious Fraud Office last year investigated BAE Systems' massive 43-billion-pound Al-Yamamah deal in 1985 that provided Hawk and Tornado jets plus other military equipment to Saudi Arabia.

But the British government shelved the investigation last December in a move supported by then prime minister Tony Blair amid concerns over Britain's national interests.

Despite this, the US Department of Justice in June launched its own investigation into BAE Systems amid allegations the British arms maker paid bribes to secure contracts in Saudi Arabia in the 1980s.

Britain's Guardian newspaper alleged in June that BAE secretly transferred more than two billion dollars to accounts controlled by Prince Bandar bin Sultan, then Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Washington.

Both BAE and Bandar have denied charges of wrongdoing.

The announcement that the deal has been sealed comes in the run-up to a three-day visit to Britain by Saudi King Abdullah, his first since he rose to the throne of the oil powerhouse in August 2005.

The monarch arrives in Britain on October 30 at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth II for talks on boosting ties between the two states and "regional and international issues of common concern," according to the royal court.

Press reports had put the overall value of the Eurofighter deal at more than twice the cost reported by the Saudi defence ministry, with estimates ranging from 20 to 40 billion dollars. - AFP/de

belacan79

Good for pemerintah Saudi and suni islam. more jet for airforce so as many as isreal airforce. but more importent so that iran dun dare inved.

Debmey

A very very big order.
The sunni arabs are really scared of iran now because Saudi and Kuwait have big shia populations that have been kept oppressed for a long time.
What is happening in iraq and lebanon now will happen also in saudi and kuwait if they are not careful.

IceMallet

USD 8.86 billion..nice deal for 72 advanced fighters...didnt the UK and the EU used to make a lot of fuss of the lack of democray and human rights in Saudi Arabia? All that is out when large sum of money is involved, eh

Debmey

They make exception for Islam cos you cannot have democracy in a true islamic state.
What about you fellas Ice? do you buy arms from countries like USA, China and Russia that kill your muslim brothers?
Do you buy oil from countries like Sudan that kill muslims?

alphawolf

Tak abis2 dia ni dengan Sudan...mesti banyak terbaca pasal 'rahsia lelaki sudan' ni....

IceMallet

No, we buy weapons from USA, China and Russia to kill gay bastads like u...

[ Last edited by  IceMallet at 18-9-2007 04:37 PM ]

Debmey

and fund killing of muslims?

IceMallet

No, fund killing of gay bastads like u laaaaa

belacan79

USD 8.86 billion..nice deal for 72 advanced fighters...didnt the UK and the EU used to make a lot of fuss of the lack of democray and human rights in Saudi Arabia? All that is out when large sum of money is involved, eh

semuanyer corupted. daripada raja saudi sampai ke pihak UK. Kalau pasal duit dan pumpuan, semua boleh. lagipun, yang kasi raja saudi tu jadi king siaper? tak salah saya, pemerintah uk dan us jugak.

belacan79

alien7749

USD123m a piece? better get F-22. I believe this Typhoon is to replace their F-5.

What happen if Iran truly buying 250 Su-30MK like what have been reported recently.

tangopapa

Wa rasa pembelian oleh arab saudi ni yang membongkar skandal rasuah "royal family" kat sana....dengar cerita BAe hulur $60m dollar us utk quote tender projek ni....

BTW, any stand on weather compliance for typhoon in Arab Saudi?...Yang selalunya akan mendatangkan masalah bila aircraft BAe kluar dari europe.....

mentosonline

Doubt it. They not even releasing F-22 to Australia and Japan, so Saudi pilots can stop dreaming.

IceMallet

I dun think Saudis will buy F22s, even it was offered to them..since the Zionist I think will get F22s..

Debmey

So why did saudis get F15 since the jews have it?

windof

awat la hangpa semua mesti post 3 kali, letih la na baca ulang2 nih...

tangopapa

Itu sound echo kena kasik tune sikit.....

alien7749

terima kasih kepada line internet yg slow giler....

IceMallet

Bcoz the Zionist didnt make the F15...what I meant was that only a few countries will get the F22s, including the Zionist and Japan..and even the Saudis ever get the F22s, it will be inferior to Zionist's F22s

[ Last edited by  IceMallet at 20-9-2007 08:28 AM ]