Arab states make up 24% of Israel’s 2022 arms exports including drones
Out of the record-high $12.5 billion in Israeli defense exports in 2022, almost $3 billion were export deals with Arab countries.
Nearly three years after the signing of the Abraham Accords, normalizing Israel’s relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco, Israel’s defense industry exports in 2022 reached $12.5 billion, the highest since the establishment of the state of Israel 75 years ago, including nearly a quarter with Arab states.
A trade report published by the Defense Ministry on Wednesday revealed that out of the overall exports, close to $3 billion came from trade with Arab countries. In the previous record year of 2021, Bahrain and the UAE accounted for $853 million out of Israel’s $11.4 billion arms export. The data was presented by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to leaders of Israel's defense industries at the Defense Ministry's headquarters in Tel Aviv.
The ministry did not publish details on the different deals reached with Arab states or the extent of defense export to each of the Abraham Accords nations.
According to the report, exports have more than doubled since 2014, and jumped by 50% in just the last three years. Drones constituted 25% of the 2022 exports, while missiles, rockets, or air defense systems represented 19%.
