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French President Macron to visit UAE to mourn death of Sheikh Khalifa

Macron will travel to the Emirates on Sunday, according to a statement by his administration

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French President Emmanuel Macron has announced a trip to the United Arab Emirates to mourn the death of Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and display his support for the ruling family.

Macron will travel to the UAE on Sunday, his administration said in a statement, to pay tribute to Sheikh Khalifa, who died on Friday, and "express his support to his brother Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the rest of the family, and the entire Emirati people".

Sheikh Khalifa, UAE president since 2004, was buried and funeral prayers were held on Friday. Major oil producer UAE is seen by France as a strategic partner in the region, and business ties, which include the delivery of military equipment and energy infrastructure, have been reinforced under Macron's first presidential term.

During a high-profile visit to Dubai in November, Macron displayed a good relationship with Sheikh Mohamed, who on Saturday was elected as President of the UAE. Business delegations from both states signed a series of major deals.

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The UAE ordered 80 of Dassault Aviation's Rafale fighter jets and 12 military helicopters through an arms contract worth 17 billion euros ($19.20 billion), which the French say will secure thousands of local jobs.

French energy giants TotalEnergies and Engie also won billion-euro deals. Paris has a permanent military base in the Emirati capital.

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