Page 34 - ADT MARCH 2021 Online Magazine
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It is easy to see why the Middle East is such
Currently, the region makes up 7.5 percent
of the world’s total defense spending. With
regional tensions high and the demand for
advanced weapons systems and defense
technologies on the rise in the Middle East, the
an attractive market for defense contractors. [ REPORT ]
number is likely to increase and touch at least
eight percent before the end of the decade,
experts say. According to the Stockholm
International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI),
Middle Eastern arms imports, which is the main
driver of the global arms market, grew by 25
percent in 2016-2020, compared to 2011-2015.
Arms imports by the UAE declined by 37 per-
cent in the period, but that was partially offset
by Qatar’s imports going up by a whopping 361
percent. Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest arms
importer, saw its weapons imports increase 61
percent while Egypt, which is modernizing its
Still in the naval forces, witnessed a 136 percent increase
in imports. Turkey, which is building up domes-
tic production of weapons, saw a fall of in 59
percent in imports.
Seizing Opportunities
U.S. made arms remain the most desired in the
Middle East, but countries in the region have
Driver’s Seat realized that they are significantly harder to buy
than similar weapons from other countries such
as China and Russia. While an arms sale involv-
THE U.S. IS PULLING BACK FROM THE MIDDLE ing U.S. companies typically comes along with a
EAST, BUT IT WILL STILL CONTINUE TO BE THE set of conditions regarding use that the buyer
has to abide by, buying weapons from Russia
PREDOMINANT ARMS SUPPLIER TO COUNTRIES and China is a relatively simpler process, with
IN THE REGION the buyers free to use the weapon as they wish.
This is one of the primary reasons why the two
countries have managed to make significant
Arun Sivasankaran inroads into the region’s weapons market.
A country that has shown an inclination toward
Russian arms is Egypt. According to SIPRI, the
Notwithstanding the fact that the United States is scaling back its country’s arms imports rose by 136 percent
military presence in the Middle East to focus on its power compe- in 2016–2020 compared to the previous five-
tition with near peer adversaries China and Russia, the country’s year period and accounted for 5.8 percent of
dominance of the arms market in the region is set to continue. the global total. In the 2014-2017 period, the
country spent around US$15 billion on arms
Russian aggression against Ukraine, and the backlash that Moscow imports, with Russia’s share of the imports
is receiving for it, gives the U.S. a prime opportunity to further constituting 60 percent. After the U.S. tem-
consolidate its position as the preeminent arms supplier to the porary withheld arms sales to Egypt following
Middle East. Moscow has in recent years been open about its the 2013 military coup, Russia stepped in and
goal of increasing weapons sales to the region and has had con- inked a comprehensive US$3.5 billion deal with
siderable success as well; according to a Stockholm International Cairo that included weapons, ammunition, and
Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) report last year, about a third of air defense systems. In March 2019, Moscow
Russia’s recent arms exports were to Middle Eastern customers. signed a US$2 billion contract with Egypt for
With the U.S., EU, UK, Japan, Canada, Taiwan, and New Zealand the supply of more than 20 SU-35 fighter jets.
imposing sanctions on Moscow targeting banks, military exports, China has been eager to latch on to oppor-
and oil refineries, countries in the region are likely to stay away tunities created by Washington’s reticence to
from Russian arms, at least in the short term. sell armed drones to its partners in the region.
34 | March 2022 WWW .GBP .COM.SG/ ADT