UAE and France sign agreement on Rafale F5 program — The National
The UAE and France signed an intergovernmental cooperation agreement in Abu Dhabi on the Dassault Rafale F5 standard within the French and Emirati Rafale programs. The agreement was concluded during French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to the UAE capital, The National reports.
Defence cooperation
The agreement covers the technical and financial parameters of industrial cooperation in combat aviation. Another arrangement within the strategic defence partnership concerns strengthening strategic autonomy and reducing dependence on third countries.
France's Ministry of Defence also signed an agreement with the UAE to enhance the interoperability of the two countries' armed forces, strengthen industrial resilience, and develop technologies, including artificial intelligence and space. During the visit, Macron toured an industrial facility of the defence conglomerate Edge Group.
According to the publication, Edge Group, founded in 2019 and comprising more than 35 companies, specializes in technologies for weapons systems, cyber defence, and electronic warfare. The group has several industrial partnerships with French companies and recently concluded a cooperation agreement with the French Defence Procurement Agency.
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Energy and artificial intelligence
The parties also signed preliminary agreements in the fields of energy, artificial intelligence, and advanced technologies. French startup AMI Labs concluded three agreements with Emirati entities, including MBZUAI university, G42, and computing company Analog.
MBZUAI will cooperate with AMI Labs on research and development in artificial intelligence, while G42 plans to create a framework for strategic cooperation on cloud infrastructure and artificial intelligence models. Analog and AMI Labs will explore opportunities to integrate AI models into robotics and physical AI systems.
Adnoc Gas and Schneider Electric separately concluded an initial agreement to assess advanced technologies and identify opportunities to improve the efficiency of energy systems. Adnoc Refining and Technip Energies signed two contracts concerning the expansion of refining capacity and a sustainable aviation fuel project.
