The proposed deal must still be approved by Congress.

An Israeli Air Force F-35 plane performs during a graduation ceremony for new pilots in the Hatzerim Air Force Base. | AP Photo/Ariel Schalit

The State Department on Thursday informally notified Congress that it plans to sell F-35 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates, according to the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

The deal would include up to 50 of the Lockheed Martin-made jets at a cost of $10.4 billion, a congressional aide said. If the sale is completed, the UAE would become only the second country in the Middle East to fly the advanced fighter jets after Israel.