At the Global Security Forum in Doha on Oct. 19, Qatar’s defense minister said the country was preparing a regional arrangement to improve its defenses against ballistic missiles, drones and cyberattacks.
At the same forum, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al-Thani said Qatar was preparing to announce the arrangement. Reuters reported no further details about the initiative.
Reuters reported that Al-Thani also discussed a separate domestic defense production hub at the forum.
Qatar accounted for 6.4% of global imports of major arms in 2021–25, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said. Qatar’s imports were 106% higher than in 2016–20. The United States supplied 48% of Qatar’s major arms imports in 2021–25. SIPRI’s figures track deliveries of major arms, not total defense spending.
