Defense news: Gulf states to reduce its weapon purchase

The US Defense news daily said that the Arab Gulf states will reduce their purchase of weapons during the coming years because of the recession in their oil revenues.

The paper quoted Kuwaiti officials as saying that their country face difficulties in rehabilitating its armed forces on the financial and human levels since it is difficult to raise the number of troops recruited in the Kuwaiti army to more than 20,000.

The paper, on the other hand, quoted officials at the US defense department, that Riyadh will not buy new weapons for years unless it completes payment of its previous arms weapons. the paper continued that the Saudi government asked the US administration last Summer to reduce prices of US weapons it bought by 15%, adding that Saudi Arabia made a new reduction for "al-Yamamah" program providing for exchanging oil for weapons.

The US paper continued that the UAE army which was equipped by 436 French tanks and 415 Russian armored vehicles, following the Gulf war does not have necessary human cadres to acquire the huge equipment owned by the country's land forces.