According to a report released Monday by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Saudi Arabia ranks first in world arms imports, followed by Egypt (3), Algeria (6), Qatar (8) and the UAE (9).
Compared to five years ago, Saudi Arabia increased its arms imports by 61% between 2016 and 2020, and Saudi arms purchases accounted for 11% of global arms sales.
The United States tops the list of arms suppliers to Saudi Arabia with 79%, followed by the United Kingdom (9.3%) and France (4%).
In the case of Qatar, the country’s arms imports grew by 361 percent between 2016 and 2020, accounting for 3.8 percent of the total arms imports of the world.
Rising exports from the United States, France and Germany have been offset by a decline in Russian and Chinese exports. Arms imports and exports have been high since the end of the Cold War, although the effects of the current epidemic on trade could change.
The Middle East saw the largest increase in arms imports during this period.
The Middle East arms import market is the fastest growing, importing 25 percent more weapons than in 2016-20.
Asia and Oceania (the sea and coastal region bordering Australia) were the largest importers of large arms, accounting for 42% of global arms sales. India, Australia, China, South Korea and Pakistan were the largest arms importers in the region.