(Adds context on the talks)
DUBAI, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Boeing on Saturday gave itsstrongest indication yet about a near-term sale of F/A-18E/FSuper Hornets to Kuwait, although the world's second-largestweapons maker said lower oil prices were delaying some armspurchases by Gulf states.
"There are things that we're waiting on... those things aregoing to be cleared and we think they're going to be clearedsoon," Boeing's Paul Oliver said in response to a question onwhether discussions about a reported $3 billion F/A-18 deal withKuwait talks were making progress.
Oliver, vice-president of international business developmentin the Middle East and Africa for Boeing's defense business, didnot name Kuwait specifically.
The United States has not publicly acknowledged talks tosell Boeing fighters to Kuwait, but sources familiar with thematter have said it is in negotiations about selling 24F/A-18E/F Super Hornets to the Gulf nation in a deal valued atover $3 billion.
Sources familiar with the matter told Reuters they hoped itwould clear final regulatory hurdles before the end of the year.
In September, Kuwait also signed a memorandum ofunderstanding to buy 28 Eurofighter jets built by Italy'sFinmeccanica, Britain's BAE Systems andEuropean aerospace firm Airbus Group.
At a news conference on Saturday, Boeing officials said theywere working on some fighter export prospects but declined toidentify any potential buyers.
Kuwait and other Gulf and Middle Eastern countries arelooking to acquire new high-tech military equipment to protectthemselves from neighbouring Iran and internal threats unleashedby the 2011 Arab Spring uprising.
Gulf governments are also looking to expand and speed uptheir replenishment of arms due to involvement in the Yemen warbut longer-term programs are being postponed as low oil pricesshrink state coffers.
"They've put some things on the shelf... they want to bevery prudent, but they're focused on needs right now," Oliversaid in Dubai ahead of the Dubai Airshow.
Some development programs could be delayed for about threeyears due to low oil prices for oil-exporting Gulf states, hesaid.
"I don't think anybody is looking at any of these things tobe over quick," Oliver said.
Procurements for "proven, off-the-self solutions" haveaccelerated, Oliver added, including Chinook and Apachehelicopters. (Reporting by Nadia Saleem and Tim Hepher; editing by HelenPopper and Jason Neely)