Turkish company Baykar has delivered 20 attack drones to the United Arab Emirates this month and may sell more, Reuters reported, citing two Turkish sources.

The UAE and its ally Saudi Arabia hope to use their rapprochement with Turkey to counter a growing security threat from Iran, the sources said.

A source with knowledge of the talks said that Abu Dhabi and Riyadh are in talks to purchase Bayraktar TB2 drones from Ankara. During talks with the UAE, it was decided to quickly deliver 20 armed drones, the source said, adding that they were handed over earlier this month.

A senior Turkish official confirmed that Turkey has delivered several drones to the UAE, and the latter wants to buy more drones. The official said Saudi Arabia also wanted to buy combat drones and build a factory to produce them.

He said Baykar was considering Saudi Arabia's request to build the factory, but said it was a strategic decision left to President Tayyip Erdogan, and that other issues, such as Saudi investment in Turkey, are not decided as quickly.

For Erdogan, who faces a difficult election next year with rampant inflation and a falling Turkish lira, the prospect of investment from the Persian Gulf and foreign currency support is a major goal, analysts said.

Baykar's only other production facilities outside Turkey are being built in Ukraine.

Although Turkish drones cannot match the technology of models produced by market leaders Israel and the United States, they are cheaper and have fewer export restrictions.