Region: Small arms sales rocket upwards

Small arms deliveries to the Middle East have increased by 84% in a year, according to the latest report from Swiss-headquartered Small Arms Survey. The data, which only goes up to 2013, shows an increase in the value of arms sales to the region from $342m in 2012 to $630m in 2013. The UAE was the world’s fourth-largest small arms importer that year and the leader in the Gulf region, buying $168m worth of weapons. It was followed by Saudi Arabia with imports of $161m. Iraq, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar all imported at least $10m worth of small arms in 2013.