The U.K., Italy and Japan have already partnered on the Global Combat Air Programme, which aims to put a new stealth fighter with supersonic capability in the skies by 2035.

Italy is in favour of Saudi Arabia joining the GCAP fighter jet programme, which currently involves Italy, Britain and Japan, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Monday.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday as she looks to boost ties with the oil-rich kingdom. The two signed a declaration that elevates the countries' bilateral relations to the level of a strategic partnership and initiates closer cooperation in an array of fields,

Italy has signed cooperation and industrial agreements worth around $10 billion with Saudi Arabia as part of a strengthened strategic partnership between the two countries, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Sunday.