The UAE is accumulating weapons to spread chaos and sabotage

A report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute revealed that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Israel are accumulating arms in preparation for a possible large-scale conflict in the region and that Saudi Arabia has become the world’s largest arms importer between 2014 and 2018.

The report pointed out that the potential confrontation with Iran prompted these countries to accumulate weapons and increase military spending in recent years.

The report also reveals that the United States and European countries sell aircraft, military vehicles, and other equipment used in the Yemen war.

In its annual report, the Institute said that total arms exported to the Middle East have risen by 87% over the past five years.

The report pointed out that the growth of Saudi arms imports reached 192% between 2014 and 2018, compared to the previous five years.

According to the report, between 2014 and 2018, the UAE purchased missile defense systems, short-range ballistic missiles, about 1,700 US armored personnel carriers and three warships from France.

Saudi Arabia received between 2014 and 2018 fighter aircraft equipped with mobile missiles, and some other weapons from the United States and the United Kingdom, according to the report.

Saudi Arabia will receive 98 aircraft, 83 tanks, and missile defense systems from the United States, as well as 737 armored vehicles from Canada, five warships from Spain and short-range ballistic missiles from Ukraine over the next five years.

Pieter D. Wezeman, senior researcher at the institute said that this report reveals that the United States and European countries are selling planes, military vehicles and other equipment used in the Yemen war, which has sparked many disputes and other wars.

He pointed out that the growth in arms imports in the Middle East replaces the military equipment destroyed in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, and Libya. In addition, this growth reflects the tensions that affect the countries and their desire to win the regional arms race.

Iran, which is subject to a UN arms embargo, has only 0.9 percent of Middle Eastern imports.

Egypt, Algeria, the United Arab Emirates, and Iraq were ranked among the top 10 countries in the world to import weapons in the world.