ZAYED
DECORATES CHIRAC
President HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan and French President Jacques
Chirac held talks at the Mushrif Palace here yesterday. The talks
were attended by the Ruler's Representative in Abu Dhabi's Eastern Region
and Deputy Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council Sheikh Tahnoun bin
Mohammed al Nahyan, the Chief of Staff of the UAE Armed Forces, Lt. General
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan, a number of Sheikhs and the UAE Ambassador
to France, Abdul Aziz Nasser al Shamsi. Also present were French
Defence Minister Alain Richard, Minister of State for Industrial Affairs
Christian Pierre, French experts and French Ambassador Jean-Francois
Thibault. Sheikh Zayed decorated Chirac with the Federation Sash,
the highest accolade the UAE offers to world leaders.
The Sash was awarded to the French President in appreciation of his positive
attitudes on Arab issues. While decorating Chirac Sheikh Zayed said
the UAE was keen to maintain a strong and permanent friendship between
the two countries. An official source later said that Sheikh Zayed
had paid tribute to France's positive attitudes on Arab issues, in particular
on the Middle East peace process, and had praised France's backing of right
and justice worldwide. Sheikh Zayed also praised President Chirac's
great contribution to regional and international issues and his efforts
to preserve world peace and stability, the source added.
The President had also stressed the importance of reviving the peace process in order to support the people's aspirations for a comprehensive, just and permanent peace, going on to urge the international community to intensify efforts to rescue the peace process. The two leaders had discussed the latest developments of the Middle East peace process and France's efforts to reactivate it, as well as regional and international political developments including the situation in the Arabian Gulf and ways of preserving Gulf security and stability. Sheikh Zayed also held a luncheon in honour of the French President. The banquet was attended by the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan, a number of Sheikhs, Ministers, senior officials and the heads of the diplomatic missions in the country.
Later, in the evening Chirac left for home and was seen off at the airport by Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Khalifa. Those present at the airport included the Speaker of the Federal National Council, Mohammed Khalifa al Habtour, the Speaker of the National Consultative Council, Abdulla Al Masood Sheikh Tahnoun bin Mohammed al Nahyan, Lt. General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed al Nahyan, and the head of the French President's honorary mission, Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed al Nahyan.
UAE
SIGNS DH 12.5 BILLION DEAL
The UAE Armed Forces yesterday placed a $2 billion (Dh 7.38 billion)
order with France's Dassault Aviation for 30 new Mirage 2000-9
fighter-bomber jets. The military jets will be delivered to the UAE
over a three-year period under the agreement, which also covers their development
and maintenance, UAE Armed Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Sheikh Mohammed
bin Zayed Al Nahyan told the official Emirates News Agency, WAM.
The announcement followed a meeting between Sheikh Mohammed and visiting French President Jacques Chirac. The meeting was also attended by the head of the honorary mission accompanying the French head of state, Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed al Nahyan, UAE Ambassador to France Abul Aziz Nasser al Shamsi and French Ambassador to the UAE Jean Francois Thibault.
Chirac later told a news conference that the purchase was part of larger package worth FF 20.0 billion (Dh.12.52 billion).He said the UAE would spend a total of 16.0 billion French francs, FF, (Dh 10 billion) on the acquisition of the new planes and the upgrading of its existing wing of 33 Mirage 2000 SAD8s. Armaments worth a further FF 4.0 billion (Dh 2.5 billion) have been ordered for the Mirages. The deal will create 15,000 jobs for France.
In what was an apparent reference to a proposed offset project, President
Chirac said France was prepared to transfer technology to the UAE to enable
the establishment of joint venture to manufacture military as well as civil
electronics.
The UAE requires defence manufacturers with contracts worth more than $10
million to establish joint venture projects which yield profits equivalent
to 60.0% of their contract value.
Chirac then urged the French defence industry to strive to persuade "our Emirati friends" to select Dassault's Rafale advanced fighter-bomber as its chosen next-generation military jet. "France has a product of equal quality and pricing to its competitors," he said. The UAE is also considering the F-16 built by Lockheed Martin of the US and the Eurofighter consortium's EF-2000.
The UAE's signing of a contract yesterday to procure 30 new Mirage 2000-9
fighter-bomber jets, and upgrade its existing wing, is the latest in a
series of planned major military acquisitions which will enable the country
to deter possible future attacks by countries with hegemonistic designs
on the Gulf Arab states, defence industry experts said.
The UAE launched into this military procurement programme after the 1990-91
Gulf War by upgrading its land defence capability. This quickly
led to the acquisition of air defence systems and Apache attack helicopters
from America's Westinghouse and McDonnell Douglas.
These significant purchases were then followed in 1993 by the contract to acquire 390 Le Clerc main battle tanks and 46 armoured recoveryvehicles from Giat Industries of France. This purchase is being supported with the acquisition of logistical support vehicles and tank carriers, and armoured personnel carriers.
Since then the focus has switched very much towards the country's sea defences, starting with the announcement of a deal in 1995 for the refurbishment and upgrading of seven existing naval helicopters and the acquisition of five more, from the Eurocopter consortium, led by France's Aerospatiale.
An examination then began of the prospects of the naval forces. Initially, attention focused on acquiring two-to-four large frigates, but it was decided instead to settle, at the least for the short-term, for two used medium-sized frigates from The Netherlands.
Delivery was taken of these in late November from the Dutch Marine Consortium,
led by the top defence electronics manufacturer Hollandse Signaalapparaten.
The decision to go for these used vessels, upgraded with the latest systems,
has led to a delay in the three-phase Liwa Programme.
The first contract, for six ocean-capable fast patrol craft, was
initially put out to tender in 1996, eliciting responses from Britain's
Vosper Thornycroft, France's Direction des Construction Navales, Germany's
Lurrsen Werft and Newport News of the U.S.
The tender has since been reissued twice to accommodate the UAE's specific requirements, with the last set of bids being received in late October. At least one competing shipyard has proposed that this contract be combined with what is referred to defence parlance as Liwa-2, the next contract in the programme seeking the procurement of corvettes, or small frigates as they are otherwise called.
In November, in an apparent departure from Liwa, the UAE also invited proposals from major Western shipyards for an unspecified number of minehunters, which were received earlier this month.
The UAE is also looking to expand its naval base facilities, although this idea is far from being finalised. These bases would, importantly, serve as bases for up to 100 fast attack craft which are on the books under the third phase of the Liwa programme.
Defence industry sources believe that the proposal for larger frigates may be revived. Defence experts believe such naval acquisitions would enable the UAE, working with Oman, to keep the strategic Straits of Hormuz open to oil tankers and other crucial sea traffic.
All eyes in the defence industry are, however, currently focused
on the UAE's planned upgrading of its air defences, which could involve
the acquisition of up to 80 state-of-the-art fighter-bomber jets.
The contract for the new Mirages is not directly connected to this,
being designed as a replacement for the country's existing wing of older
Mirage jets.
It does, however, give the UAE further time to consider the bids from America's
Lockheed Martin to supply a brand-new version of its F-16, the offer of
the prototype Rafale from France's Dassault Aviation (which builds the
Mirage), and the EF-2000 from the Eurofighter consortium.
When acquired, the combination of advanced air defence systems, Mirages and ultra-modern fighters would make an air attack on the UAE an unattractive proposition for even the best armed of nations. Defence experts said the long-term thinking behind these acquisitions is for the UAE not to be wholly dependent on Western military support in the event of foreign aggression.
Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has already
clearly stated that the UAE expects the United States to withdraw its current
massive military presence in the region, based around the 5th Fleet's base
in Bahrain, when its vested interest in the region's security wanes.
(The Emirates News Agency, WAM)
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ZAYED
BRIEFED ON NEW PROJECT
President His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan was briefed
on Monday on designs for the first phase of the Corniche Road beautification
project, starting from the entrance of the Presidential Court to the corniche
park.
The Ruler's Representative in the Western Region and Chairman of the Municipality
and Town Planning Department, Sheikh Mohammed bin Butti Al Hamed, said
the project included re-paving the pavements, intersections and crossings,
construction of four pedestrian subways and renovation of utilities and
car parks.
Sheikh Zayed was also briefed on the designs for the tunnel and two
fly-overs to be constructed at the entrance of Al Bahr Palace to ease the
flow of traffic there. Sheikh Zayed approved the designs and ordered
that work to start immediately.
Attending the meeting were Sheikh Nahyan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Chairman
of the President's Private Department, Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan,
the Board Chairman of the International Petroleum Investments Company Sheikh
Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Director of the Presidential Court Sheikh
Dhiyab bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President's Military Aide de Camp Sheikh
Omar bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the Director of the President's Office, Khamis
Butti Al Rumaithi. (The Emirates News Agency, WAM)
FOOTBALL:
UAE STUN SOUTH AFRICA
A goal after just 45 seconds by defender Hassan Suhail Mubarak was enough
to give the United Arab Emirates a surprise 1-0 win over South Africa in
the Confederations' Cup on Monday.
Mubarak stole behind the African champions' defence to stab home a tantalising free kick from Mohammed Ali. Another free kick from Ali two minutes later almost set up a second but captain Adnan Al Talyani missed a golden opportunity by shooting wide.
Despite almost total domination after that, South Africa could not find an equaliser, coming close on several occasions including hitting the bar. John Moshoeu came closest for South Africa with a close range effort that bounced back off the crossbar in the second-half.
Phil Masinga forced a good save from Faraj Moshin Mosabbah late on with an overhead kick but good defensive work by the Emirates' team generally kept the South African strikers at long range and limited their clear-cut chances. "It was one of those games that if we had played for another 90 minutes, we still would not have scored," said South African coach Clive Barker.
The result gives the Emirates, who lost their first game 2-0 to Uruguay, a chance to end up as a surprise semifinalist in the eight-nation tournament. South Africa will now be very likely to take action against absentees Lucas Radebe and midfielder Eric Tinkler.
The two were excused duty for the opening 2-2 draw with the Czech Republic to enable them to play for their English premier league clubs but missed their flights from London and arrived in Riyadh too late to play. (Reuter, carried in the Emirates News)
