Saudi Arabia, Qatar see sharp jump in military spending in the Middle East: Report | Breaking Defense

The Middle East had the highest average “military burden” per country in 2021, driven by significant increases in defense spending from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. 

Countries in the Middle East shouldered the highest average “military burden” per country in 2021 due to significant increases in defense spending from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The Middle East spent an average of 3.9% of their GDP on defense, compared to the global average of 2.2%. However, while Saudi Arabia and Qatar saw significant increases, most other nations in the region saw their overall military spending stagnate or slightly decline. Israel’s defense spending fell for the first time since 2009, while Turkey’s defense spending dipped for the third year in a row due to soaring inflation. Iran spent 4.6% more on defense in 2022 than the previous year. The report acknowledges gaps in the data, and experts caution that figures coming out of the Middle East should be taken with a grain of salt, as they are partly based on self-reported budgets. 

Source: https://breakingdefense.com/2023/04/saudi-arabia-qatar-see-sharp-jump-in-military-spending-in-the-middle-east-report/