DUBAI, Nov 11 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) isin the final stages of negotiations to buy French Rafale fighterjets, the head of the Gulf nation's air force told Reuters onWednesday.
Defence sources have said Abu Dhabi is looking to purchase60 fighter jets and is closely studying the Dassault-built Rafale after an earlier evaluation of the four-nationEurofighter.
"I think we are in the final stage of negotiations," MajorGeneral Ibrahim Nasser Al Alawi, commander of the UAE Air Forceand Air Defence, said when asked how close the UAE was to a dealto buy the Rafale.
He also stressed that no final decision had been taken.
Dassault Aviation was not immediately for comment. (Reporting by Tim Hepher, Editing by William Maclean)