UAE receives first French Rafale fighter jets as F-35 deal remains in limbo
The United Arab Emirates has received its first Rafale fighter jet under a deal with France amid ongoing US-French competition for influence in the UAE’s arms industry.

The United Arab Emirates received a first batch of French Rafale fighter jets Thursday under a deal made with France in 2021, in a sign of deepening ties between the two countries.
The first Rafale jet produced by French company Dassault Aviation for the UAE air force was unveiled during a ceremony held in Paris. Attendees included Emirati Defense Minister Mohamed bin Mubarak Fadhel Al Mazrouei and his French counterpart, Sebastien Lecornu, along with senior officials from the Ministry of Defense and high-ranking representatives from both sides, the official WAM news agency reported.
"صفقة تاريخية" لتعزيز قدرات القوات المسلحة الإماراتية
تدشين أول طائرة "رافال" الفرنسية ضمن الدفعة الأولى
وزير الدولة لشؤون الدفاع:
• رافال" أثبتت كفاءتها واستراتيجيتنا قائمة على اقتناء أحدث الأسلحة والمعدات لتطوير منظومة الدفاع الوطني. pic.twitter.com/JT5DUq88ZY— وزارة الدفاع |MOD UAE (@modgovae) January 30, 2025
“Our strategy focuses on acquiring the most advanced weaponry and systems that align with the evolving nature of modern warfare and technological advancements, enhancing the overall combat efficiency of our national defense system," Mazrouei said during the ceremony.
In a statement, the Emirati Ministry of Defense said the acquisition of the new fighter jet is part of a “historic deal” signed with Dassault Aviation to “strengthen the capabilities of the UAE’s air force.”
In December 2021, France and the UAE inked a 16.6 billion-euro ($17.2 billion) deal to supply the Gulf state with 80 Rafale warplanes, one of the world’s most advanced combat aircraft. The UAE also ordered 12 Caracal helicopters.
The deal was sealed during a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to Abu Dhabi. The contract marked France’s largest overseas sale of the French warplane to date, as Egypt has so far ordered 54 of the fighters while Qatar has ordered 36.
France recently overtook Russia to become the world's second-largest weapons exporter, with French arms exports making up 11% of the global market over the past five years, according to a report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute published last March. The United States continues to lead, accounting for 42% of total global arms exports.
French-US competition over defense influence in UAE
Thursday’s acquisition comes as France and the United States jostle for influence in the UAE’s defense industry even as talks over the UAE’s purchase of F-35 fighter jets from Washington remain stalled.
The UAE-French defense ties have been steadily growing in the past years.
While the United States remains the UAE’s top supplier of weapons, accounting for 57% of Emirati imports between 2019 and 2023, France ranks as the third-largest exporter of arms to the UAE after Turkey, with 9.2% of UAE arms imports during the same period, according to a 2023 report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
The UAE also hosts a French naval base that opened at Abu Dhabi’s Port Zayed in 2009.
Both French and US warplanes and personnel are stationed at Al-Dhafra Air Force Base, a major facility located outside Abu Dhabi, where they conduct regular joint exercises and launch attacks.
Last year as tensions spiked in the region over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, the UAE restricted the United States from using its facility to launch attacks against Iranian proxies, fearing retaliatory strikes.
Meanwhile, the US-Emirati negotiations over a multi-billion-dollar deal for the purchase of F-35 warplanes remain on hold.
The purchase of 50 F-35 warplanes is part of a broader $23 billion deal that also includes 18 advanced drone systems and other munitions. The deal was first proposed at the end of President Donald Trump’s first term in 2021, but then President Joe Biden suspended the talks with the Emirati side over US concerns over UAE-China defense ties.
Last September, a senior UAE government official told Reuters that there were no plans to resume the talks about the deal, regardless of the US election outcome. It remains unclear if the UAE’s position has changed after Trump’s inauguration earlier this month.