Qatar: More Rafale frustration for France

Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani has made his first official visit to France as emir, arriving in the afternoon of the 23 June for a two-day visit which once again got French media salivating at the prospect of Qatar placing a large order for Rafale fighter planes. “I think we can be reasonably optimistic, even very optimistic, about this contract,” Radio France Internationale quoted Benoît Dussaugey, an executive vice-president at Rafale’s supplier Dassault Aviation, as saying ahead of the visit. “If Qatar signs it will be an excellent year for Dassault Aviation. We are counting on Qatar.”