Israel reports significant defence sales to Arab states

The Arab states that recently normalised relations with Israel accounted for 7% of the Jewish state's defence export orders in 2021, the Israeli Ministry of Defense (MoD) revealed on 12 April.

Israel's defence exports hit a record USD11.3 billion in 2021, an increase of 30% compared with 2020, according to the figures released by the MoD.

The 7% it said went to “Abraham Accords countries” consequently represented USD791 million in orders. It did not provide a further breakdown of what has been ordered by Arab states – Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – which normalised relations with Israel in 2020–21.

Europe was the largest region for Israeli defence sales at 41%, followed by Asia-Pacific at 34%, and North America at 12%.

Missiles, rockets, and air-defence systems formed the largest sales category at 20%; training and training services 15%; unmanned aircraft systems 9%; radar and electronic warfare systems 9%; manned aircraft and avionics 9%; weapons stations and launchers 7%; vehicles and armoured personnel carriers 7%; command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence (C4I) 6%; intelligence, information, and cyber systems 4%, ammunition and armament 4%; and services and others 2%.

Brigadier General (res) Yair Kulas, head of the MoD's International Defense Cooperation Directorate, described the sales figures as a “historic milestone”.

“Israel's defence exports have reached double-digit [growth] figures for the first time, reaching a 55% increase within two years. Looking ahead, shifting global priorities and partnerships such as the Abraham Accords create high demand for Israel's cutting-edge technological systems,” Brig Gen Kulas said.