DUBAI, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced on Thursday it had taken delivery of the first batch of French Rafale fighter jets under a 16.6-billion-euro (17.2 billion U.S. dollars) deal to modernize its air force, the Gulf state's defense ministry said.

The ministry described the delivery as part of a "historic" agreement with France's Dassault Aviation, emphasizing strengthened bilateral