AMMAN, 1 February 2004 — Jordan and the United Arab Emirates have concluded an agreement to establish an $18 million factory to produce military vehicles, official sources said yesterday. The first of its type in the Arab world, the factory will be located at Thulail, about 50 kilometers east of Amman. Under the agreement, the factory will produce 500 vehicles annually for the first four years, rising to 1,000 annually thereafter. “The product will be open for sale to all Arab countries without exception, but the UAE armed forces have signed a contract to purchase the entire production of the first four years, amounting to 2,000 vehicles,” the sources said.