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Saudi Arabia’s Security Paradox: Why Heavy Spending Fails to Deliver Security
Despite massive military budgets and grand projects, Saudi Arabia faces increasing insecurity and mounting debt, necessitating a serious course correction.
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With just 0.4 per cent of the world’s population, Saudi Arabia was the top arms importer globally for several years during the decade of the 2010s. Its military budget has been consistently very high and is quite close to the military budget of India which has a population over 40 times that of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has been one of the biggest arms buyers from the USA and more recently has reached defense and military agreements with this country that surpass anything seen in the past. In addition, Saudi Arabia also has close military cooperation with other leading NATO countriesNorth Atlantic Treaty OrganizationAn intergovernmental military alliance between 32 member states, 30 in Europe and 2 in North America. including France and UK. Most recently, it has reached a mutual security agreement with Pakistan and Turkey.
Despite all these attempts to ensure its security, Saudi Arabia has faced increasing threats in recent times, with the country facing several attacks. According to recent reports in mid-October 2026, Crown Prince MBS has to shift from one bunker-equipped palace to another under the security of special elite guards to ensure his safety. has to shift from one bunker equipped palace to another under the security of special elite guards to ensure his security.
With a population of 35 million, a population density of only 17 per sq. km (compared to 81 for Yemen and 1365 for Bangladesh), and an exceptionally rich resource base, Saudi Arabia should have more than adequate resources for its people. However, it is already in debt, with a gross external debt of around 500 billion dollars, which has increased at a very fast pace recently. This debt appears set to increase at an even faster pace in the near future, in view of recent disruptions in its oil exports and the ongoing war, which is likely to lead to more arms imports.
The increasing debt is also attributed, to a significant extent, to the exceptionally grand and expensive projects of Vision 2030, promoted enthusiastically by MBS. developments, promoted enthusiastically by MBS. The overall budget for these projects has already increased beyond initial high-cost estimates and may exceed 500 billion US dollars. While the basic idea of diversifying the economy is sound, this has been pursued under Vision 2030 in unnecessarily expensive and grand ways that can easily go wrong. There are several problems with projects like The Line (planned as 170 km long mirrored linear city) and the Oxagon (planned as floating industrial and automated port city). While such highly expensive projects can be pushed by promoters keen to make their billions from them, potentially leading to corrupt practices and inflated egos, in reality, they can increase the country’s economic problems and debts before bringing any real benefits.
The fact is that Saudi Arabia, with its vast desert, coastline, and even highlands, is very well endowed with prospects for beach, mountain, and desert tourism, which should be integrated with the protection of biodiversity and the livelihoods of local people. The country should abandon the egocentric complex of only pursuing things in extraordinarily grand and unique ways. Then it will be able to integrate tourism, environment and livelihoods in a very nice way. At present, its plans are integrated more with promoting big business interests than with advancing the concerns of its people and environment.
Saudi Arabia possesses a significant strength in having some of the world’s greatest pilgrimage sites. This, as well as its massive wealth, should be used to launch significant philanthropy based on an inclusive approach. Unfortunately, in the past, billions of dollars went towards promoting less inclusive and more violence-prone sects, resulting in increasing violence in many parts of the world. There are signs that Saudi Arabia has been trying to move away from this, either under international pressure or on its own, but some aggressive tendencies remain, resulting in avoidable clashes and conflicts.
The way forward is to end the ongoing war and sort out these differences with negotiations as early as possible, then establish Saudi Arabia as a center of inclusive forms of religion and development, with a huge emphasis on philanthropy and humanitarian aid. Saudi Arabia will then earn the true respect of the entire world. It will also be able to improve its security significantly while simultaneously reducing its military budget. Concurrently, it should revise its Vision 2030 projects to substantially reduce their costs while striving to improve their utility.
This should primarily be a time for serious and sincere course correction for Saudi Arabia. If this is taken up with commitment to peace, environmental protection, justice, and fair play, Saudi Arabia will be able not only to significantly reduce its problems but also emerge as a center of peace and philanthropy.
Disclaimer:The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Rift.
