France announced its intention to provide assistance in strengthening the UAE air defense systems, by using its combat aircraft stationed in Abu Dhabi for aerial reconnaissance.
The French move comes after the UAE was recently subjected to a series of ballistic missile and drone attacks by the Houthis in Yemen.
Three people were killed last month in a drone attack near Abu Dhabi.
On Wednesday, the UAE announced that it had thwarted an attack by three drones. An Iraqi group calling itself the "Brigade of True Promise" claimed responsibility for the attack.
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Paris maintains close economic and political relations with Abu Dhabi and has a permanent military base in the Emirati capital. France signed an agreement last December to sell about 80 Rafale combat aircraft to the UAE, the largest French deal of its kind.
The French Minister of the Armed Forces (Defense), Florence Parly, said in a tweet to her on Twitter, "The UAE was the victim of serious attacks on its soil in January. In order to show our solidarity with this friendly country, France decided to provide military support, in a form Protecting airspace from any incursion.
During the past two weeks, the UAE was attacked twice by drones and missiles by the Houthis.
One of the attacks targeted a base housing US forces. That attack was thwarted using US-made Patriot interceptors.
The French Ministry of the Armed Forces said that the agreement with Abu Dhabi will see the implementation of operations from Al Dhafra Air Base, by providing refueling capabilities and surface-to-air defences.
The ministry added, "The operations that the aircraft will carry out are planned in coordination with the UAE Air Force, to detect and intercept attacks by drones or cruise missiles targeting the UAE."French officials said that the usual refueling and monitoring missions of the Rafale aircraft will be carried out exclusively over UAE territory.
The United States had said, earlier this week, that it would send fighter jets to assist the UAE in the wake of the missile attacks on the Gulf state by the Ansar Allah Houthi movement in Yemen.