Editing Armed Forces of Saudi Arabia (section)

==Military industry==
The vast majority of Saudi Arabia's military equipment is imported from the Western world.<ref name="Library of Congress 2006" />  The United States sold more than $80 billion in military hardware between 1951 and 2006 to the Saudi military.<ref>{{cite web |title=Saudi Arabia |url=https://fas.org/asmp/profiles/saudi_arabia.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101111112056/https://fas.org/asmp/profiles/saudi_arabia.htm |archive-date=11 November 2010 |access-date=11 November 2010 |website=fas.org}}</ref> 2013 saw Saudi military spending climb to $67bn, overtaking that of the UK, France and Japan to place fourth globally.<ref name="AJE 2013 spending">[http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/04/saudi-leads-middle-east-military-spending-201441411547583667.html "Saudis lead Middle East military spending"]. 14 April 2014. [[Al Jazeera Media Network|Al Jazeera]].</ref> The United Kingdom has also been a major supplier of military equipment to Saudi Arabia since 1965.<ref>{{cite book |last=Gardner |first=Charles |title=British Aircraft Corporation |publisher=B.T. Batsford Ltd |year=1981 |isbn=978-0-7134-3815-4 |pages=224–249}}</ref> Since 1985, the UK has supplied military aircraft—notably the [[Panavia Tornado|Tornado]] and [[Eurofighter Typhoon]] combat aircraft—and other equipment as part of the long-term [[Al-Yamamah arms deal]] estimated to have been worth £43 billion by 2006 and thought to be worth a further £40 billion.<ref>{{cite news |last=O'Connell |first=Dominic |date=20 August 2006 |title=BAE cashes in on £40bn Arab jet deal |work=The Sunday Times |place=London |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2095-2320097,00.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20080907153551/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2095-2320097,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 September 2008}}</ref> In 2012, British defence giant BAE signed a £1.9bn ($3bn) deal to supply Hawk trainer jets to Saudi Arabia.<ref>{{cite news |date=23 May 2012 |title=Saudi Arabia |work=Reuters |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-saudi-britain-defence-idUKBRE84M0JN20120523|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160608095231/http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-saudi-britain-defence-idUKBRE84M0JN20120523|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 June 2016}}</ref>

According to the [[Stockholm International Peace Research Institute]], in 2010–14 Saudi Arabia became the world's second-largest arms importer, receiving four times more major arms than in 2005–2009. Major imports in 2010–14 included 45 combat aircraft from the UK, 38 combat helicopters from the U.S., four tanker aircraft from Spain, and over 600 armoured vehicles from Canada. Saudi Arabia received 41% of UK arms exports in 2010–14.<ref>"[http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/policy-budget/budget/2015/03/22/saudi-uae-influence-grows-with-purchases/25013385/ Saudi, UAE Influence Grows With Purchases]". Defense News. 22 March 2015.</ref> France authorized $18 billion in weapons sales to Saudi Arabia in 2015 alone.<ref name="Salon">"[http://www.salon.com/2016/08/30/rights-group-blasts-u-s-hypocrisy-in-vast-flood-of-weapons-to-saudi-arabia-despite-war-crimes/ Rights group blasts U.S. "hypocrisy" in "vast flood of weapons" to Saudi Arabia, despite war crimes]". ''Salon''. 30. August 2016.</ref> The $15 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia is believed to be the largest arms sale in Canadian history.<ref>{{cite news |date=27 April 2016 |title=Human rights groups ask Trudeau to end 'immoral' arms deal with Saudi Arabia |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/saudi-arms-deal-breaks-canadas-export-controls-opponents-argue/article29769283/}}</ref> In 2016, the [[European Parliament]] decided to temporarily impose an arms embargo against Saudi Arabia, as a result of the [[Yemen]] civilian population's suffering from the [[Saudi-led intervention in the Yemeni civil war|conflict with Saudi Arabia]].<ref>[http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/eu-parliament-passes-unprecedented-call-arms-embargo-against-saudi-arabia-1801277252 EU Parliament – unprecedented call arms embargo against Saudi Arabia], Middle East Eye 25 February 2016</ref> In 2017, Saudi Arabia signed a [[2017 United States–Saudi Arabia arms deal|110 billion dollar arms deal with the United States]]. Saudi Arabia is Britain's largest arms customer, with more than £4.6 billion worth of arms bought since the start of Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. According to a report from the [[Global Affairs Canada]], a record-breaking amount of military hardware was sold to Saudi Arabia in 2019, despite its poor human rights record.<ref>{{cite web |date=9 June 2020 |title=Canada doubles weapons sales to Saudi Arabia despite moratorium |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/09/canada-doubles-weapons-sales-to-saudi-arabia-despite-moratorium |access-date=9 June 2020 |website=The Guardian}}</ref>

Following the [[assassination of Jamal Khashoggi]], a nonbinding resolution was passed in the European Parliament on 25 October 2018, urging EU countries to impose an EU-wide arms embargo on Saudi Arabia.<ref>{{cite news |title=European Parliament passes resolution urging arms embargo on Saudi Arabia |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/european-parliament-passes-resolution-urging-arms-embargo-on-saudi-arabia/2018/10/25/cb324140-3172-4dc8-b373-4acc065fdb69_story.html |access-date=25 October 2018}}</ref> Germany became the first Western government to suspend future arms deal with the kingdom after [[Angela Merkel]] stated that "arms exports can't take place in the current circumstances."<ref>{{cite news |title=Germany plans to suspend arms sales to Saudis; other European countries press for more information on Khashoggi's killing |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/european-leaders-press-for-answers-on-jamal-khashoggi-killing/2018/10/22/9581aeaa-d606-11e8-8384-bcc5492fef49_story.html |access-date=22 October 2018}}</ref>

The [[Al-Fahd Infantry fighting vehicle]] and the [[Al-Faris 8-400|Al-Faris 8–400 armored personnel carrier]], used by Saudi land forces, were manufactured by the Abdallah Al Faris Company for Heavy Industries, based in [[Dammam]].
Also, Al-Kaser and Al-Mansour armored vehicles and the Al-Masmak MRAP which has achieved very high protection, all are Saudi-made<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.armyrecognition.com/saudi_arabia_army_wheeled_armoured_vehicles_uk/al-masmak_masmak_mrap_mine_resistant_armored_personnel_carrier_technical_data_sheet_specifications.html |title=Al-Masmak Masmak Nyoka Mk2 MRAP Mine Resistant Armored Personnel Carrier technical data sheet |publisher=Army Recognition |access-date=25 December 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140621070648/http://www.armyrecognition.com/saudi_arabia_army_wheeled_armoured_vehicles_uk/al-masmak_masmak_mrap_mine_resistant_armored_personnel_carrier_technical_data_sheet_specifications.html |archive-date=21 June 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arabic-military.com/t44493-topic|title=Photos & Videos|publisher=arabic-military.com|access-date=25 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141028165138/http://www.arabic-military.com/t44493-topic|archive-date=28 October 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> Ashibl&nbsp;1 and Ashibl&nbsp;2 are Saudi-made armored vehicles used by the Royal Saudi Land Forces and the kingdom's most elite special operations units of Battalion 85. Saudi Arabia has also recently{{when|date=October 2020}} unveiled the new Tuwaiq MRAP.<ref>{{cite web|title=Saudi Arabia unveils development of MRAP Tuwaiq 2 vehicle – Aljundi Journal – A Military & Cultural Monthly Magazine|url=https://www.aljundi.ae/en/weapon-news/saudi-arabia-unveils-development-of-mrap-tuwaiq-2-vehicle/|access-date=2021-03-13|language=en-US}}</ref> Saudi Arabian Military Industries signed a Memorandum of Understanding with [[ROSOBORONEXPORT]] for the local production of the [[9M133 Kornet]]-EM anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) system, the [[TOS-1]]A advanced multiple rocket launcher and [[AGS-30]] automatic grenade launchers with grenades and Kalashnikov [[AK-103]].<ref>{{cite web |url = http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2017/10/05/Saudi-Arabian-Military-Industries-signs-agreement-to-manucafture-Russian-weapons-locally-.html |title = Saudi Arabia signs agreement to manufacture Russian weapons locally |date = 5 October 2017 |publisher=Al Arabiya |access-date=6 October 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171006113509/http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2017/10/05/Saudi-Arabian-Military-Industries-signs-agreement-to-manucafture-Russian-weapons-locally-.html |archive-date=6 October 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>