China, UAE to hold third air force drills as defense ties warm: What we know China and the United Arab Emirates are further deepening their defense and military ties with a third round of aerial exercises. United Arab Emirates
Turkey defense firms break record with $10B in revenues: SIPRI Turkey set a new record with five companies in the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute's Top 100 for 2024, which included nine Middle Eastern countries for the first time amid conflict-driven arms demand. Turkey
US approves $1.4B in military sales to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain: What to know An estimated $1 billion in foreign military sales will go to Saudi Arabia, and $445 million will go to Bahrain. United States
Trump says US will sell F-35s to Saudi Arabia, first Arab country to acquire jets The deal could rattle Washington's ties with Israel and is not likely to be approved by Congress unless conditioned on Saudi normalization of ties with Israel. Saudi Arabia
Analysis Turkey boosts R&D spending to $20B amid push for defense self-sufficiency By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Egypt, Sudan hold joint military drills as Nile dispute with Ethiopia drags on The naval drills come at a time of heightened tensions with Ethiopia as Addis Ababa works toward completing the filling of its controversial Nile dam without reaching an agreement with its downstream neighbors. Egypt
Saudis joining Shanghai Cooperation Organization as China bromance blossoms Russia, China and a number of former Soviet states in Central Asia created the SCO in 2001 to counter US hegemony in the region. Legacy: Gulf
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt rank among world’s top 10 arms importers: SIPRI Middle East countries made up more than a fourth of the top 40 global arms importers from 2018 to 2022, according to a new report. Legacy: Gulf
UAE's IDEX weapons fair brings in Russia, China, and billion-dollar deals The United Arab Emirates’ defense expenditure amounted to $22.5 billion last year and is expected to reach $28.6 billion by 2027. Legacy: Gulf
How Israel’s HevenDrones latest hydrogen-powered drone can help UAE The lightweight aerial vehicle for defense or commercial use is the latest fruit of diplomatic normalization between the two countries, and will be featured at IDEX next week. Legacy: Gulf
Iran intel official says China in line to buy Tehran's drones Despite growing Western alarm over the Islamic Republic's drone shipments to Russia, the Iranian official said 90 countries were "queuing up" for purchases of the same products. Iran
Jordan's first female F-16 pilot celebrated as 'hero' Jordanian women are playing an increasingly prominent role in the country’s military, though challenges remain. There have been notable female air force pilots in other countries throughout the Middle East as well. Jordan
Turkish FM travels to Washington seeking to seal deal for F-16 fighter jets Mevlut Cavusoglu’s meeting with Antony Blinken comes as Washington reportedly ties warplane deal to NATO expansion. Turkey
Middle East military rankings: Turkey highest, Lebanon lowest per global index Turkey stands out as the most powerful country in terms of its military capacities in its region while Lebanon is the weakest, a global military strength index finds. Turkey
Greece compares Turkey to North Korea in latest row with Erdogan Erdogan’s remarks raise stakes in rivalry between fellow NATO members as threatening rhetoric escalates. Turkey
Iran shows off homemade drones in large-scale exercise The drill was staged amid US intelligence reports that the Islamic Republic was planning to send Russia weapons-capable combat drones to be used in its war on Ukraine. Iran
Israeli defense minister pushes security cooperation, trade in India Defense Minister Benny Gantz's twice-postponed trip to India that finally took place last week. Israel
