No Events
The Gulf region has emerged as one of the fastest-growing areas in terms of global defense expenditures. Countries in the region are developing military and strategic partnerships with various states in order to protect their energy resources, achieve leadership in regional competition, maintain regime security, and strengthen their national defense capacities. This study aims to examine the military modernization programs pursued by Saudi Arabia, The United Arab Emirates and Qatar countries that are rich in energy resources and economically strong in their efforts to enhance their defense capabilities. Within this framework, the study analyzes with which actors these countries have concluded arms procurement agreements and examines the main characteristics of the defense systems in which they have invested. The primary research question of the study is formulated as follows: Within the context of modernization-driven military partnerships of Saudi Arabia, The United Arab Emirates and Qatar, which defense systems and weapons have been procured and what are the technical specifications of these military assets? One of the sub-questions addressed in the study concerns why, despite their high-cost defense investments, the air defense systems of Gulf countries failed to provide effective deterrence against Iran’s increasing missile attacks during the war that began on February 28 2026 between The United States-Israel and Iran. In this context, the study aims to answer the research question by examining the investments of Gulf countries in defense systems and their arms procurement agreements.
The Increase in Defense Expenditures and Modernization in The Gulf Countries
In recent years, various developments that have profoundly affected the security structure of the Gulf region have come to the forefront. The military confrontations that began on February 28 2026 between The United States/Israel and Iran triggered a large-scale security crisis as Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps carried out extensive strikes against oil facilities, ports and U.S. military bases located in Gulf countries. Among the consequences of this conflict are the diversification of security threats, intensifying power competition among regional actors, disruptions in the supply processes of energy resources, and the deployment of military assets in strategically significant areas. Furthermore, the increasing military tensions in the region and the uncertain security environment created by Iran’s retaliatory attacks against U.S. bases in regional countries have directly influenced the defense policies of Gulf states. These developments have led regional actors to pursue various forms of cooperation aimed at strengthening their security capacities and to increase their investments in advanced defense systems. In response to increasing security threats, Gulf countries seeking to strengthen their national security and rapidly adapt to the process of modernizing their military equipment have exhibited a growing tendency toward armament. According to data published in 2025 by SIPRI (The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute), The United States was Qatar’s primary supplier in arms imports during the 2020-2024 period, accounting for 48 percent of total imports. In particular, exports of unmanned aerial vehicles and modern missile systems to Qatar have increased significantly. Other extra-regional suppliers for Qatar include The United Kingdom, with a 15 percent share and France with 14 percent, from these countries, Qatar has procured fighter aircraft. Within the framework of its Vision 2030 initiative, Saudi Arabia increased its arms imports between 2020 and 2024 in order to diversify its military equipment, particularly focusing on modern and unmanned operational systems. In this context, The United States maintained a leading position with a 72 percent share in Saudi arms imports, while other major suppliers included Italy with 10 percent and France with 6 percent. For the United Arab Emirates, The United States ranked first among its major extra-regional partners in the 2020-2024 period, accounting for 64 percent of arms imports, while a notable increase was observed in the procurement of unmanned combat aerial vehicles from France, which held a 4 percent share. During this period, Gulf countries further developed their strategic cooperation and expanding arms procurement relations with The United States, one of the key external actors in the region.
…
