UAE buys record 80 Rafale jets for €14 billion
The Hindu
Macron kicks off West Asia tour
The United Arab Emirates signed a record €14-billion contract for 80 Rafale warplanes and committed billions of euros in other deals as French President Emmanuel Macron kicked off a West Asia tour on Friday.
The biggest international order ever made for the French jets came as Mr. Macron held talks with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed at the start of a two-day trip which will also take in Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
The resource-rich UAE, one of the French defence industry’s biggest customers, also inked an order for 12 Caracal military transport helicopters for a total bill of more than €17 billion.
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