Special to WorldTribune.com

WASHINGTON — Gulf Arab states provided a record year for U.S. arms
exports.

The Congressional Research Service said purchases by the six members of
the Gulf Cooperation Council, particularly Saudi Arabia and the United Arab
Emirates, provided the United States with its greatest arms export year.
CRS said U.S. weapons sales for 2011 reached $66.3 billion, or 79 percent of
the developing nations market.

“The U.S. arms agreements with Saudi Arabia were extraordinary, and represent, by far, the largest share of U.S. agreements with the world or the developing world in 2011,” the report said. “The U.S. also concluded high value agreements with Persian Gulf states such as the UAE and Oman.”

The report, relayed to Congress on Aug. 24, said Saudi Arabia was the
largest procurer of U.S. weapons in 2011. CRS, in a report titled
“Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations, 2004-2011,” said Riyad purchased $33.4 billion worth of combat platforms and weapons last year.

The biggest Saudi deal was a $29.4 billion purchase of 84 F-15
fighter-jets and the modernization of another 70 aircraft. Riyad also bought more than 50 AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopters and S-70 utility helicopters.

“In 2011, Saudi Arabia ranked first in the value of arms transfer
agreements among all developing nations weapons purchasers, concluding $33.7
billion in such agreements,” the report said. “The Saudis concluded $33.4
billion of these agreements with the United States — 99 percent.”

The United Arab Emirates came a distant second in purchases from
Washington, which in 2010 reported $21.4 billion in arms sales. The UAE
ordered about $4.5 billion, including the Terminal High Altitude Area
Defense and 16 CH-47D heavy-lift helicopters.

In a report by Richard Grimmett and Paul Kerr, CRS said Oman bought 18
F-16 fighters for $1.4 billion. CRS did not report major purchases by
Bahrain or Qatar.

CRS also cited U.S. arms agreements with Egypt and Iraq. Iraq ordered 18
F-16IQ fighter aircraft for $1.4 billion while Egypt prepared to co-produce
more than 130 M1A1 main battle tanks and support in a project reported at
more than $1 billion.

“Because GCC states do not share a land border with Iran, their weapons
purchases have focused primarily on air, naval, and missile defense
systems,” the report said. “Egypt and Israel have also continued their
military modernization programs by increasing their purchases of advanced
weaponry, primarily from the United States.”

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