Prosecutors in Saudi Arabia have acknowledged for the first time that the killing of Jamal Khashoggi was 'premeditated'.

It comes almost a week after the kingdom finally acknowledged that the dissident journalist died after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2nd, following a series of earlier denials.

Authorities claimed that Mr Khashoggi died in a 'fist fight' during a 'rogue operation' to interrogate the writer.

However, in another shift in the kingdom's official line, they now say Mr Khashoggi's killing was pre-planned.

In a statement quoted by state media, state prosecutors said they have received additional information from Turkey indicating that the "suspects in the incident had committed their act with a premeditated intention".

It adds: "The Public Prosecution continues its investigations with the accused in the light of what it has received."

The news follows the announcement by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier this week that his country believed the killing was a 'pre-planned operation' - describing it as a 'political murder'.

18 Saudi nationals have been arrested in connection with the killing - three from the consulate, and a further 15 who are alleged to be part of a hit squad who flew to Istanbul to carry out the killing.

Saudi Arabia has insisted its de facto leader - crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman - had no knowledge of the operation that resulted in the journalist's death.

Meanwhile, The Washington Post - the newspaper which published Mr Khashoggi's columns over the last year - reports that CIA director Gina Haspel has listened to audio tapes which purportedly contain recordings of the interrogation and killing of the journalist.

The US official is said to have heard the tapes during a visit to Turkey this week.