Hours before the French president arrives in Abu Dhabi, it is reported that the two countries have reached a huge military procurement deal.

According to reports, France will sell Rafael fighter jets to the Emirates in a deal that began to take shape about a decade ago. At the time, there was talk of purchasing 60 aircraft to replace the Emirate Air Force's Mirage aircraft.

The approval of the deal today is considered a signal by Abu Dhabi to the US administration that it is not satisfied with the delay in approving the F-35 deal that the Trump administration undertook to sell to the Emirates as part of the peace agreements with Israel.