Despite the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy due to its spread in the region in the past few years, the defense expenditures of Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries increased significantly in 2021.
Military expenditures and GDP of a total of 15 countries in 2020-2021 were studied, including Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and after the study a report was prepared on those expenditures.
According to the report, the total military expenditures of the mentioned countries in 2020 amounted to a total of $166.17 billion, while in 2021 they increased by $14.91 billion to reach $181.08 billion.
In 2020 and 2021, Saudi Arabia was the country that spent the most on defense technologies. The Kingdom spent $64.5 billion in 2020 and in 2021 it reached $55.5 billion.
