The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has identified 162 states as importers of major arms in 2020-2024.
The top five arms importers (Ukraine, India, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan) received 35 per cent of global arms imports in the period.
States in Asia and Oceania accounted for 33 per cent of all arms imports in 2020-2024, followed by those in Europe (28 per cent), the Middle East (27 per cent), the Americas (6.2 per cent) and Africa (4.5 per cent).
The Middle East
Arms imports by states in the Middle East were 20 per cent lower in 2020-2024than in 2015-2019. Four of the world’s top 10 arms importers in 2020-2024 werein the Middle East: Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Kuwait.
More than halfof Middle Eastern arms imports came from the USA (52 per cent). The nextlargest suppliers to the Middle East were Italy (accounting for 13 per cent ofregional arms imports), France (9.8 per cent) and Germany (7.6 per cent).
Qatar and Saudi Arabia
Against the backdrop of tensions with its neighbours, Qatar was the 3rd largestarms importer globally in 2020-2024, having been the 10th largest in 2015-2019.
Qatari arms imports in 2020-2024 were 127 per cent higher than in 2015-2019and 1312 per cent higher than in 2010–14. Qatar’s main supplier in 2020-2024was the USA (accounting for 48 per cent of Qatari arms imports), followed byItaly (20 per cent), the UK (15 per cent) and France (14 per cent). In 2020-2024Qatar’s imports included 42 combat aircraft from the USA, 31 from the UKand 16 from France; it also imported 7 major warships from Italy.
Arms imports by Saudi Arabia decreased by 41 per cent between 2015-2019and 2020-2024. It went from being the world’s largest arms importer in 2015-2019to fourth largest in 2020-2024. Saudi Arabia’s main supplier in 2020-2024 was theUSA (accounting for 74 per cent of Saudi Arabian arms imports), followed bySpain (10 per cent) and France (6.2 per cent). The decrease in Saudi Arabia’sarms imports in 2020-2024 can be partly attributed to the cyclical nature ofarms procurement. Based on known pending deliveries, Saudi Arabia isexpected to remain a major importer of arms in the coming years.
Israel, Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis
In 2024 warfare continued between Israel (on one side) and Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis (on the other), with each of these actors having a different level of reliance on, or access to, imported major arms.
Between 2015-2019 and 2020-2024, arms imports by Israel remained largely stable (–2.3 per cent). Israel was the 15th largest arms importer globally in 2020-2024, down from 14th in 2015-2019. The USA was the biggest supplier of major arms to Israel in 2020-2024 (accounting for 66 per cent of Israeli arms imports), followed by Germany (33 per cent). Israeli imports from the USA included combat aircraft, armoured vehicles and guided bombs, while the main imports from Germany were frigates and torpedoes.
Israel has used a range of imported major arms in its military actions in Gaza, Iran, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen that were launched in response to the Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023. Most of these arms - including combat aircraft supplied as aid by the USA over several decades - were delivered before October 2023. Towards the end of 2023, the USA ramped up its supplies of aid to Israel and delivered armoured vehicles, guided bombs and missiles during 2024. By the end of 2024, Israel had pending deliveries of more major arms, including 61 combat aircraft from the USA, 50 of which were ordered in 2024.
Iran’s arms imports have been at a very low level relative to those of most other arms importers in the Middle East since around 1993. Iran’s only supplier of major arms in 2020-2024 was Russia. Iran received a total of 6 light combat aircraft from Russia in 2023 and 2024 and has pending deliveries for 42 combat aircraft.
Owing to a lack of verifiable information, it is difficult to make a detailed assessment of the transfers of major arms to Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis in 2020-2024. However, Iran is known to have supplied anti-tank missiles to Hezbollah and anti-ship missiles, surface-to-surface missiles andone-way attack drones to the Houthis during the period. (SIPRI; File Photo: Qatar Emiri Air Force Rafale Figher Aircraft © Dassault Aviation)
