French President François Hollande arrived in Qatar on Monday for the start of a two-day Middle East tour designed to wrap up the sale of French fighter jets and showcase his country’s ties and support with the Gulf monarchies.

Hollande is to hold talks with Qatar’s Cheikh Tamim ben Hamad al-Thani in Doha and attend a ceremony to celebrate the sale of 24 French Rafale fighter jets to the oil-rich Gulf state.

A second, more confidential contract will involve the training of 36 pilots and around one hundred mechanics to support the military deal between the two countries.Hollande will then head to Saudi Arabia, where he will be the guest of honour at a summit of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council on Tuesday.

The €6.3 billion Rafale contract marks yet another major success for France’s arms industry, coming hot on the heels of further multi-billion euro sales of the flagship fighter jet to Egypt and India.

France may soon be celebrating again as negotiations with the United Arab Emirates appear to be headed in the “right direction”, according to Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius.

 Shervin LABANI