State-owned Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE), currently in negotiations with Boeing and Airbus over plane orders, has appointed a new chairman to its executive committee.

Mohammed Ahmed Al Zarooni, formerly the managing director of DAE, was appointed chairman and will replace Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, who is also chairman of Emirates airline and the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority.

When contacted by Reuters, Zarooni confirmed earlier media reports about the appointment and described the change as "a normal transition of leadership".

DAE was unavailable for comment.

The director general of Dubai's Department of Finance, Abdelrahman al Saleh, said on Thursday that DAE was in negotiations with Boeing and Airbus, when asked about a recent report by a French daily saying DAE may be forced to renegotiate about 220 aircraft orders due to Dubai's financial woes.

DAE ordered 118 aircraft from Boeing in 2007 and 100 planes from Airbus, the paper had said, adding that deliveries of the A320s should have started already. – Reuters