Rafale deal compromised in the UAE

F/A-18E Super hornet of the US Navy

The Rafale might have to face the Super hornet in the UAE. DefenceNews is reporting that the gulf state has contacted  Boeing in order to get technical informations on the F/A-18E :

[...]UAE authorities approached Boeing about a month ago and were directed to the U.S. government, which is expected to respond in a month or so, a U.S. source said.

It's not clear why Abu Dhabi has suddenly expressed interest in the latest version of the U.S. strike fighter. Technology may be part of the reason, but politics is likely the main cause.[...]

Rafale technology not good enough or too expensive for the UAE ?

[...]The U.S. source said the Gulf state is believed to be frustrated over price and the technology offered by France.
UAE authorities have been negotiating with the French government and industry a potential co-development of a more capable "fifth-generation" model of the Rafale.
Abu Dhabi is being asked to pay to upgrade the Rafale, while the F-18 is already at the desired technological level.
The Gulf source said, "The Super Hornet has everything we need. We don't need to co-develop or modify it."[...]

It is still not known, though, whether Boeing is going to propose the current F/A-18E or the new silent Hornet recently presented.