Arms sales rise strongly across Mena, but by most in the Gulf

Arms imports into many Gulf countries have at least doubled over the past five years, according to data compiled by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Overall, arms imports into the Middle East/North Africa region increased by 103% between 2008-12 and 2013-17, but the trend was far more pronounced in most of the Gulf states, which now appear locked in an expensive arms race.