The trip will come in the wake of a visit to Paris by assistant defense minister for military affairs Prince Khaled bin Sultan, the crown prince's son, who held talks with Alliot-Marie on June 15.

Chirac visited Saudi Arabia in March without clinching a defense deal, but French sources said in Paris last month that Sultan's anticipated visit might lead to the signing of defense contracts.

According to a French source familiar with the issue, the Eurocopter division of European aerospace giant EADS is in talks with the oil-rich kingdom about the sale of some 60 Super Puma, Fennec and NH 90 helicopters.

Talks are also under way on the supply to Riyadh of Rafale fighters, refueling planes manufactured by Airbus, Leclerc tanks, frigates and submarines.

The source said that while the total value of these contracts could reach 40 billion euros (51 billion dollars), they are not all expected to go to France. A deal covering helicopters and refueling planes "would be worth three to four billion euros (3.8 to 5.1 billion dollars)," the source said.

EADS announced in May that it planned to bid in Saudi Arabia's tender for a border security radar system, a project worth an estimated seven billion euros (8.9 billion dollars).

The announcement followed a press report that the Saudis had ended negotiations on the project with the French electronics company Thales and thrown the contract open to competition.

The contract for the system, known as Miksa, would run for 12 years, and involves 225 radar installations as well as the supply of telecommunications equipment and aircraft.

French aerospace group Dassault Aviation confirmed in April 2005 that talks had taken place with Saudi Arabia on the purchase of the fourth-generation Rafale, a multi-role combat jet that can carry out interception and reconnaissance missions as well as nuclear strikes.

The French daily Les Echos said at the time the discussions focused on the purchase of 48 fighters with an option for 48 more in a deal valued at six billion euros (7.6 billion dollars).

"We will act fast and firmly... to create the most favorable conditions for Paris," Delanoe told reporters at city hall. "It is a decisive tool for international competition and thus important for the city."

The plan also calls for slashing taxes on companies that lay down fiber optic cables in a drive to have 80 percent of all buildings within the city connected to so-called 'ultra-high speed' fiber optic networks by 2010.

"Sixty percent of Parisian households already have high-speed connections. ... Our goal will be not only to maintain this but also to move a step ahead," Delanoe said.

License fees for fiber optic cables already snaking through the city's sewer system would be cut by 25 percent, and the tax break would go up to 90 percent for the first 400 meters of new cables that branch out to connect buildings currently lacking the high-speed lines.

The free wireless access points -- to be located in parks, squares, libraries, and public areas -- will be set up by private firms that win contracts to be awarded in early 2007.

The project will also experiment with free WiFi access for an entire city quarter by the end of 2007.

Delanoe said he would be submit the plans for city council approval early next week.