Saudi Arabia Is the Biggest Buyer of U.S. Arms

The signing of the "largest single arms deal in US history" with Saudi Arabia at the weekend shouldn't really come as much of a surprise. For the last few years, the Saudis have been one of the biggest buyers of U.S. military equipment, with 2016 no exception. As the infographic below shows, the value of arms exported to Saudi Arabia was more than double that of the second largest buyer, Iraq.

The latest deal, signed by President Trump during his official visit and said to be worth almost $110 billion, has ruffled some feathers in the next stop on the his trip - Israel. Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz responded to the news, saying: "This is a matter that really should trouble us". Prime Minister Netanyahu though, would seem to be waiting for a face-to-face discussion. According to Reuters, a senior U.S. official traveling with Trump said there will be "a really strong statement from the president on his commitment to Israel and to Israel’s defense,"

This infographic uses the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute's "trend-indicator values" (TIV). These are based on the known unit production costs of weapons and represent the transfer of military resources rather than the financial value of the transfer.