Why Turkey’s defense boom matters to the Gulf
The UAE and Saudi Arabia wrapped up a high-stakes presence at Turkey’s IDEF 2025 defense expo, clinching major agreements that reinforced their shift from arms buyers to strategic partners.
Welcome back to Al-Monitor Gulf.
It’s been a landmark week for Gulf defense strategy. At Turkey’s IDEF 2025 expo, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia clinched major co-production deals and unveiled new joint ventures — underscoring their ambition to become global defense players, not just arms buyers.
Beyond defense, Riyadh is anchoring its Syria reengagement in energy reconstruction, Qatar is warning the EU over its LNG law and Dubai continues to shatter aviation and finance records. All that and more.
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