The United Arab Emirates (UAE) plans to buy two Saab Global 6000 aircraft for surveillance, a defence ministry official said at the Dubai Airshow on Monday.

Major General Abdullah Al Hashimi, the ministry's executive director of strategic analysis, told reporters the value of the deal was $1.27 billion.

He added that the UAE was in talks to upgrade systems on its two Saab 340 aircraft, and those discussions would be finalised in two years. -Reuters