The United Arab Emirates ordered 80 French Rafale fighter jets and 12 military helicopters on Friday, strengthening economic and political ties with the European country through an arms contract worth USD19.20 billion.
The French presidency said the deal was signed at a ceremony between Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan (MBZ) and the French president Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the Dubai Expo 2020, as Macron began a two-day trip to the Gulf, during which he will also visit Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
“This contract cements a strategic partnership that is stronger than ever and directly contributes to regional stability,” the French presidency said in a statement.
The French leader has forged a good relationship with MBZ with investments flowing between the two countries. Paris has a permanent military base in the Emirati capital.
Shares in Dassault Aviation SA, the Rafale’s maker, rose more than 9%. It is the biggest bulk purchase of the Dassault-made Rafale, other than by the French army, and comes after deals in Greece, Egypt, and Croatia this year.
“This contract is historic,” French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly said in a statement.
Abu Dhabi also ordered 12 Caracal helicopters, the multi-role military version of the Super Puma.
The on-off negotiations for the Rafale fighter jets took more than a decade with Abu Dhabi publicly describing France’s offer to supply 60 Rafale jets in 2011 as “uncompetitive and unworkable”.
The French-Emirati deal could nonetheless be seen as a signal of impatience as the U.S. Congress hesitates on approving an F-35 deal amid concerns about the UAE’s relationship with China.
Paris is one of Abu Dubai main arms’ suppliers, although it has faced increasing pressure to review its sales to the middle eastern country due to its engagement in the conflict between a Saudi-led coalition and the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen, which has become one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
“France is going ahead with these sales despite the UAE playing a leading role in the atrocity-marred military operations led by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen,” Human Rights Watch added in a statement that The French president should denounce the human rights violations in these three counties.
add your comment
Terms of publication : Not to offend the writer, people, sacred things, or attack religions or the divine self, and refrain from racist incitement and insults.