The deal came in the wake of a hugely contentious state visit to Paris by EgyptвЂ™s el-Sisi in December hosted by Macron Those contracts dried up, however, including deals that had been at an advanced stage for more Rafale jets and warships.Дiplomats said that was as much to do with financing issues over fears about CairoвЂ™s long-term ability to repay state-backed guaranteed loans, rather than any concerns Paris had with the human rights situation in Egypt.Д«enedicte Jeannerod, the Human Rights Watch director for France, condemned the deal outright. Encouraging ruthless repressionДЇrance was the main weapons supplier to Egypt between 2013-2017, including the sale of 24 warplanes with an option for 12 more. The Egyptian accord also reportedly covers contracts for missile manufacturer MBDA and equipment provider Safran Electronics & Defense which are worth another $241m.ДЇranceвЂ™s finance, foreign and armed forces ministries were not immediately available for comment. Qatar and India have also signed agreements with France, turning the plane into one of the countryвЂ™s main defence industry successes. This deal would be a further boost for the Dassault-made fighter jet after a $3.01bn agreement was finalised in January for the sale of 18 Rafales jets to Greece.

President Emmanuel Macron said in December he would not make the sale of weapons to Egypt conditional on a commitment to respect human rights because he did not want to weaken CairoвЂ™s ability to counter violence in the region.Д®gyptвЂ™s defence ministry said the deal would be financed through a loan to be repaid over at least 10 years but did not give details about the value of the deal or any other information.Д¬iting confidential documents, Disclose said an agreement had been concluded at the end of April and could be sealed on Tuesday when an Egyptian delegation arrives in Paris.

EgyptвЂ™s defence ministry revealed the deal in a statement early on Tuesday.

Egypt has signed a contract with France to buy 30 Rafale fighter jets in a deal that investigative website Disclose said was worth $4.5bn.

Rafale flight