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As of 2026, Egypt had the highest number of military tanks in the MENA region at combat tanks. This was followed by Iran with nearly 2,700 military tanks. 

MENA military trends

In 2015, Saudi Arabia was ranked the third highest investor in military expenditure globally. It was then ranked seventh worldwide in 2024 and first in the Middle East and North Africa region at almost **** billion U.S. dollars. The conflict and instability in the area caused it to have to maintain a very high military spending. Some of the conflict countries which ranked very highly for risk of conflict in recent years included Iraq, Yemen, Syria, and Palestine. The MENA region had the highest share of military expenditure compared to its gross domestic product in comparison to other regions. For Saudi Arabia, military spending as a share of GDP reached*** percent as of 2023. 

MENA budget deficit

The public debt in the MENA region was, on average, ** percent of their GDP in 2018. The governments found it necessary to spend more on their military due to the widespread instabilities, conflicts, and disputes. In 2025, Egypt was among the countries that was facing a very high risk of public deficits and deprivation. The country recorded a very high ratio of national debt to GDP, with around ** percent. The military expenditure budgets can be seen as a burden as they leave the states with very little to spend the welfare of the public. The unequal distribution of public finances has caused the uprising of protests such as the case with the Arab Spring.