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World Air Force News - France
UAE, India and Qatar: Three Markets where Rafale could finally win
According to French financial papers La Tribune and Les Echos, Dassault Aviation, manufacturer of the French Fighter, is in good position in several markets to win its first export contract by year's end.
     
According to French financial papers La Tribune and Les Echos, Dassault Aviation, manufacturer of the French Fighter, is in good position in several markets to win its first export contract by year's end.
Dassault Rafale
     
Dassault could celebrate its first export contract by the end of the year by selling some sixty Rafales in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is during the summer that negotiations have resumed to a significant level between France and the UAE despite several issues at the begining of the talks (negotiation of traffic rights for Emirates in France against the advice of Air France and an large offset issues between Thales and Abu Dhabi).

Qatar is another country where Dassault chances in the short-medium term look promizing. Qatar is an historic close ally of France and the Qatari Air Force wishes to renew its fleet of combat made up mainly of 12 Mirage 2000-5.
Qatar, through its sovereign wealth fund Qatar Investment Authority, will become a significant shareholder of the new Greek banking group resulting from the merger between EFG Eurobank and Alpha Bank. Which could facilitate the sale of its Mirage 2000-5 to Greece ... who is in need of new combat aircrafts. This would open the door to the Rafale in Qatar.

In India, the Rafale is of course shortlisted alongside the Eurofighter for the MMRCA tender and the winner should be announced by year end.