UAE announces IDEX weapons deals as Middle East arms spending climbs

Markus Matzel | ullstein bild | Getty Images

Attendees walk the floor at IDEX, the International Defence Exhibition and Conference, in Abu Dhabi in 2015.

The United Arab Emirates announced about $1.35 billion in defense deals with local and international companies on the opening day of IDEX 2019, the International Defence Exhibition and Conference, in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

Of the 33 deals announced Sunday, 18 were domestic and 15 were with foreign firms, the latter accounting for just under $1.1 billion of the total, an IDEX spokesperson said during a news conference.

American companies took the greatest share of foreign sales, at about $490 million. Led by Raytheon, Lockheed Martin and Hesco, the deals will provide missiles, new radar systems capabilities and defensive shelters for the UAE military, respectively. Others notching sales to the country included France’s Thales, Australian firm EOS Defense and Germany’s Rheinmetall Electronics.

The deals with 18 domestic firms highlight the small Gulf country’s investment in developing its own defense manufacturing industry as part of a drive to diversify its economy away from oil.