Pakistan has invited Saudi Arabia to join in the manufacturing programme of its JF-17 Thunder aircraft along with technology transfer, said a report.

The kingdom’s Defence Ministry and the Saudi Air Force are keenly examining the aircraft programme, said Pakistan Today, citing a US journal report.

Saudi Arabia has traditionally relied on the US and Western defence technology for its military needs. Therefore, this would represent a potential significant strategic shift for the kingdom, said the report.

The programme, which is a joint Pakistan-China collaboration, has been trying to find countries to buy the JF-17 in order to reduce the per-unit cost the Pakistan Air Force pays for procuring the plane, it said.