Qatar to announce defence production plant

Qatar is set to announce plans for a defense production plant as the nation aims to enhance its domestic defense capabilities, according to Reuters. The gas-rich Gulf country plans to collaborate with regional partners, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and France, to ensure either local protection or investment in these companies.

Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatar’s Defence Minister, made the announcement while speaking at the Global Security Forum in Doha. The move comes amid heavy attacks on Qatar and other Gulf countries during the Iran war, with energy sites and civilian infrastructure suffering damage. Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City, which supplies one-fifth of the world’s liquefied natural gas, was partially destroyed, prompting Qatar to declare long-term force majeure on contracts with some buyers worldwide.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia, the Arab world’s two largest economies, have already been investing in domestic defense capabilities, with Edge Group and Saudi Arabian Military Industries (Sami) playing key roles. Edge systems, including jammers, successfully eliminated 85% of Iranian drones launched at the UAE during the Iran war, as reported by Hamad Al Marar, the group’s managing director and chief executive, in an interview at the Make it in the Emirates event in Abu Dhabi.

Military spending in the Middle East continues to rise as regional conflicts persist, with the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) reporting an estimated $218 billion in 2025, up by only 0.1% compared to the previous year. However, military spending in the region has increased by 36% over the decade from 2016 to 2025.

Saudi Arabia, the region’s largest spender, allocated $83.2 billion in 2025, a 1.4% increase from 2024 and a 12% increase from 2016.