No problem selling advanced F-35 planes to UAE: Trump

Dubai - Trump, who will oversee the signing of a deal normalising relations between the UAE and Israel, said the sale would mean "tremendous jobs at home".

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would have "no problem" selling advanced F-35 warplanes to the UAE, despite objections from close ally Israel.

"I personally would have no problem with it," he said on Fox News. "I would have no problem in selling them the F-35."

Trump, who will oversee the signing of a deal normalising relations between the UAE and Israel later on Tuesday, said the sale would mean "tremendous jobs at home".

In a separate online briefing, Dr. Anwar Gargash, UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said the accord should deal with "any grain of doubt" on why UAE should get the F-35.

In the virtual briefing, the minister said the F-16s that are at the "cornerstone of UAE's Air Force are now almost two decades old. And it is time to renew these".

Dr Gargash said UAE seeks to, like any other country that takes its military seriously, to modernise its defences.

"Our request for F-35 and other systems predates this agreement. This has been on the table for a much longer time."

He said his country will have to make a compelling argument to get F-35s. "And I believe that we will win that argument."