Sale of military equipment from UK to United Arab Emirates

This file concerns the sale of military equipment from the UK to the UAE. It contains correspondence and media reports on:

• Enquiries and orders from the UAE and confirmations of no political objection from the FCO
• A query from the Dubai Defence Force (DDF) with the British Leyland Motor Corporation regarding the price of a cargo carrying Land Rovers
• The question of whether to authorise the sale of sensitive items to private dealers
• The question of whether the UAE is permitted to reassign equipment bought from the UK to another state
• The drafting of a memorandum of understanding between the Governments of the UAE and the UK on the security safeguards necessary to protect classified information about the rapier weapon system
• A request from the US for aircraft facilities on Masirah Island
• The increasing competition the UK is facing from France for selling military equipment to the UAE
• An Indian proposal for an ammunition factory in Dubai
• The question of whether to deal with orders from individual emirates, or to conduct transactions through the UAE Ministry of Defence