Russo-Saudi Arms Deal: The Harbinger of the Middle East Power Shift?

Ariel Cohen / September 01, 2009

The Obama Administration is ignoring news reports that Russia is planning to sign a contract with Saudi Arabia, in which the Kingdom will receive over US $2 billion in Russian arms and military technology. Most likely, the contract will be signed by the end of this year.

Traditionally, the arms market of the Persian Gulf has been the hunting reserve of the American and European defense industries, which both provide up to 90 percent of the weapon needs of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf emirates.

The current deal was facilitated by the Treaty on cooperation in military technology initiated during the visit of the Russian then-President Vladimir Putin to the Saudi capital Riyadh, on February 11, 2007, and signed in 2008. That trip was a milestone–the first time in history that the head of Russia or the Soviet Union had visited the Kingdom. (more…)