The body of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat will be flown from France to Cairo late Thursday aboard a French military plane, Egypt's official MENA news agency reported Thursday.

The agency said that the plane will take off from a French military base at Villacoublay, some 4 km from the Percy military hospital, where Arafat had been treated for a blood disorder and passed away in the wee hours of Thursday.

French President Jacques Chirac will visit the hospital to pay his last respects to Arafat, it added.

Before Arafat's body leaves for the Egyptian capital, a brief official ceremony will be held at the French military base, which will be attended by French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, MENA quoted French government sources as saying.

Egypt is expected to hold a short and official funeral service for Arafat on Friday at the Cairo International Airport, where Arab and world leaders will come and pay their last respects to the late Palestinian leader.