UAE signs $19 billion fighter jet deal with France

The sale of Dassault Rafale jets and Caracal helicopters marks Paris' largest foreign military sale to date.
Rafale fighter
Emiratis walk past a French Rafale fighter jet displayed during the Dubai Airshow on Nov. 14, 2017, in the United Arab Emirates. - KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images
Al Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Al-Monitor Staff

The United Arab Emirates agreed to buy 80 Rafale fighter jets and 12 military helicopters from France on Friday in a landmark deal expected to bolster ties between the two allies.

President Emmanuel Macron and Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan finalized the 17 billion-euro ($19.2 billion) sale in Abu Dhabi on Friday.

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