Saudi Arabia is now the world’s biggest importer of defence equipment, with spending expected to reach US$9.8 billion in 2015, according to a report from the research firm IHS. That is a rise of 42 per cent compared to the previous year.
“Growth in Saudi Arabia has been dramatic, and based on previous orders, these numbers are not going to slow down,” said Ben Moores, a defence analyst at IHS.
Planned defence spending in Saudi Arabia shot up following the Arab Spring and the rise of ISIL, leading the kingdom to overtake Russia as the world’s third-largest overall spender on defence at $80bn annually.
Saudi Arabia’s 2015 fiscal budget was the largest in the country’s history, with expenditures of 860bn Saudi riyals (Dh842.22bn) planned. The budget did not include an estimate for total defence spending, although in 2014 military expenditure accounted for about 35 per cent of planned expenditure.
The UAE and Saudi Arabia imported more arms from the US last year than all of western Europe combined, spending $8.6bn between them on defence imports.
At the recently concluded Idex in Abu Dhabi, the UAE Armed Forces signed 33 deals worth Dh18.3bn with local and overseas defence companies.
Instability in Libya, Yemen, Syria and Iraq, tensions with Iran and the Arab Spring have concentrated the minds of the region’s defence ministers in recent years.
“There is an immediate military threat emerging on the Saudi periphery,” said Sabahat Khan, a defence analyst at the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis.
“The threat from ISIL has reached the Saudi border. It’s going to be a battle that will span many years. In Yemen, to the south, the [Houthi] rebels are creating problems ... that’s in addition to the long-standing threat from Iran.”
The Middle East is also the world’s fastest growing defence market, with annual spending totalling about $150bn, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri).
Global defence spending totalled about $1.75 trillion last year, says Sipri.
“When we look at the likely export-addressable opportunities at the global level for the defence industry, five of the 10 leading countries are from the Middle East,” Mr Moores said.
Governments across the Middle East and North Africa are expected to spend about $920bn on arms over the next decade, IHS estimates.
The global arms import-export trade grew to $64.4bn in 2014, up from $56.8bn the previous year.
The US remains the world’s largest exporter of arms, followed by Russia, France and the UK.
Bilateral trade in defence accounts for less than 1 per cent of the overall defence market. The militaries of Europe and the US, which account for the majority of global arms spending, prefer to buy from domestic suppliers, aiming to boost their own economies.
China, the world’s second-largest spender on defence, is to step up its military spending by 10 per cent to $144.2bn in 2015. This is still some way short of the $581bn spent by the US last year.
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Getting there
The flights
Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.
The stay
Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net
Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama
Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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South Korea
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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
RESULTS
Bantamweight
Victor Nunes (BRA) beat Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK)
(Split decision)
Featherweight
Hussein Salim (IRQ) beat Shakhriyor Juraev (UZB)
(Round 1 submission, armbar)
Catchweight 80kg
Rashed Dawood (UAE) beat Otabek Kadirov (UZB)
(Round-1 submission, rear naked choke)
Lightweight
Ho Taek-oh (KOR) beat Ronald Girones (CUB)
(Round 3 submission, triangle choke)
Lightweight
Arthur Zaynukov (RUS) beat Damien Lapilus (FRA)
(Unanimous points)
Bantamweight
Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) beat Furkatbek Yokubov (RUS)
(Round 1 TKO)
Featherweight
Movlid Khaybulaev (RUS) v Zaka Fatullazade (AZE)
(Round 1 rear naked choke)
Flyweight
Shannon Ross (TUR) beat Donovon Freelow (USA)
(Unanimous decision)
Lightweight
Dan Collins (GBR) beat Mohammad Yahya (UAE)
(Round 2 submission D’arce choke)
Catchweight 73kg
Martun Mezhulmyan (ARM) beat Islam Mamedov (RUS)
(Round 3 submission, kneebar)
Bantamweight world title
Xavier Alaoui (MAR) beat Jaures Dea (CAM)
(Unanimous points 48-46, 49-45, 49-45)
Flyweight world title
Manon Fiorot (FRA) v Gabriela Campo (ARG)
(Round 1 RSC)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
India Test squad
Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rahul, Vijay, Pujara, Rahane (vc), Karun, Karthik (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Pandya, Ishant, Shami, Umesh, Bumrah, Thakur
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
TV (UAE time);
OSN Sports: from 10am
More on Quran memorisation:
The bio
Favourite food: Japanese
Favourite car: Lamborghini
Favourite hobby: Football
Favourite quote: If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough
Favourite country: UAE
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