Qatar Concludes Rafale Agreement At DIMDEX 2016

Qatar has officially signed a contract to purchase 24 Dassault Rafale fighters on the first day of the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX), held from March 29-31.

At the show, French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Khalid Al-Attiah, signed the final agreement, Arabian Aerospace reported.

The agreement worth $7.5 billion includes an order for 24 Rafale fighter jets, with an option on a further 12 and training of 36 Qatari pilots and technicians by the French military.

Qatar had earlier made an initial payment for the aircraft in December. The sale to Qatar boosts sales for prime contractor Dassault, radar and systems specialist Thales, and engine-builder Safran. MBDA will supply the missiles.