The United Arab Emirates and France have agreed to sell 80 French-made Rafale fighters, officials said during a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to Abu Dhabi, AFP reported.

The UAE, one of the largest customers for the French defense industry, will also buy 12 Caracal military transport helicopters, the French president said in a statement.

The Rafale order is the largest international aircraft order since it entered service in 2004.

In buying Rafale jets, the UAE is following the lead of Qatar, a Gulf rival, which bought 36 planes, and Egypt, which ordered 24 in 2015 and 30 earlier this year.