By Richard Aboulafia
In December, the United Arab Emirates ordered 80 Rafale fighter jets worth $16 billion from the French manufacturer Dassault Aviation—both a record UAE arms purchase and a record French arms sale. While Abu Dhabi still hopes to purchase 50 somewhat more advanced U.S. F-35s as part of a $23 billion arms deal with the United States, it only makes sense that the UAE would want a second source for combat jets—especially from France.
Nations that import arms in conflict-fraught regions want to keep their militaries operating in the event of potential arms embargoes, and France offers two strong selling points: a valuable strategic relationship and low risk of cutting off weapons support.
