The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has agreed to buy from South Korean companies 560,000 US dollars worth of specialized assault rifles, in the first defense deal to follow Abu Dhabi's landmark nuclear accord with the Asian nation, a local English daily reported Friday.

The order for 40 K11 airburst rifles makes the UAE the first foreign customer for the weapon, The National said.

The K11 rifle consists of a semi-automatic 20mm grenade launcher, an underslung assault carbine firing 5.56mm NATO- standard rounds, and a top-mounted, computer-assisted sighting system with integrated laser rangefinder and thermal infrared night-vision capabilities, according to the report.

It said the weapon's "smart shell" operates on a computer- controlled fuse, adding that the 20mm round, which explodes several feet above its target, is also capable of puncturing concrete walls.

The rifle, developed by South Korea's defense development agency and S&T Daewoo, has been used by the South Korean army for more than a year, the report said.

According to The National, the rifle, with a unit price of about 14,000 dollars, is being purchased by the UAE on a trial basis and a final signing of the contract is expected in the next two months.

The paper said that although the value of the rifle contract was small, it was a sign of the growing ties between the two countries and also shows a break from the UAE's traditional reliance on western-made defense products.

The UAE is considered a promising market to help South Korea boost its small but growing military exports, it said.

Last December, the UAE signed a 75-billion-dirham (about 20.5 billion dollars) agreement with South Korea on the construction of four nuclear power plants in the Gulf nation.