The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute has revealed that Egypt was among three countries in the Middle East among the top 10 arms importers during the period from 2019 to 2023, following Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The institute's report on global arms exports and imports indicated that Saudi Arabia was the second-largest arms importer in the world for the aforementioned period, receiving 8.4% of global arms imports during that time. Egypt came in as the seventh-largest arms importer globally from 2019 to 2023, importing over 20 fighter jets and a total of 10 major warships aimed at increasing its military influence.
Saudi arms imports decreased by 28% during 2019-2023, but this was from a record high during 2014-2018. In contrast, Qatar's arms imports nearly quadrupled (+396%) between 2014-2018 and 2019-2023, making it the third-largest arms importer in the world in the latter period. The institute noted that the majority of arms imports to Middle Eastern countries came from the United States, followed by France, then Russia, Italy, and Germany, highlighting that the Middle East imports significant quantities of arms, especially from the U.S. and Europe.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute revealed that despite the overall decline in arms imports to the Middle East, they remain high in certain countries, largely driven by conflicts and regional tensions. The report stated that "the major imported arms have been widely used in regional conflicts over the past decade, including in Gaza, Lebanon, and Yemen." It added that some Gulf countries imported large quantities of arms for use against the Houthis in Yemen and to counter Iranian influence.
On the other hand, African countries saw a 52% decline in their imports of major arms between 2014-2018 and 2019-2023, primarily due to significant decreases in imports from North African countries: Algeria (-77%) and Morocco (-46%). Furthermore, the institute mentioned that over half of the arms imports of European countries come from the United States. At the same time, Europe is responsible for about one-third of global arms exports, including large quantities that go outside the region, reflecting Europe's strong military industrial capability.
