US State Department Green-lights Nearly $6 Billion in Weapons Sales to Gulf Allies

The US State Department has green-lighted potential arms sales to the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain worth $6 billion, after the Pentagon notified Congress of the prospective deals. According to reports, Abu Dhabi is seeking to purchase Patriot missile systems and associated equipment for an estimated $2.5 billion, in addition to $750 million-worth of weaponry to improve its fleet of F-16s. For its part, Manama is eyeing a $2.75 billion upgrade to its existing American-made, anti-missile defense batteries in order to enhance their capability to down aircraft and intercept cruise missiles. Both countries, along with Sunni Saudi Arabia, have increased military spending over the past decade in response to Shiite Iran’s nuclear ambitions and regional expansionism. According to a recent study by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the five biggest military spenders in 2018 were the United States, China, Saudi Arabia, India and France. Bahrain spent some $1.4 billion on weaponry last year, while the study did not list the UAE due to a lack of transparency in the country’s arms acquisitions. The most recent available estimate for military spending by Abu Dhabi is $22.8 billion (current US dollars) in 2014.