Saudi Arabia's Illusory Security

Since the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been arming itself at an extraordinary rate. Although accurate figures are hard to obtain, arms imports since the Second Gulf War probably total some US$30 billion. This represents an acceleration in what was already a large-scale military build-up before the Iraqi invasion. However, it is not at all certain that the Saudis are buying themselves security with their spending spree in the international arms bazaar. Rather, the regime may be merely exacerbating its problems.