Airbus eyes Saudi deal for almost 40 A350 jets

Saudi Arabia is in advanced negotiations to order almost 40 A350 jets from Europe's Airbus (FR.AIR) as part of strategic efforts to launch a new airline and challenge heavyweight carriers in the Gulf, industry sources said. If confirmed, the purchase by the sovereign Public Investment Fund (PIF), worth $12 billion at list prices, could be announced as early as this week when Riyadh hosts a major forum, the Future Investment Initiative (FII), the sources said.