Egypt Ranks First in the Arab World for Military Strength Despite Modest Defense Spending

Egypt holds the top position in the Arab world and ranks 19th globally in terms of military strength, despite placing only eighth among Arab nations and 46th worldwide in defense spending. In contrast, Saudi Arabia’s defense budget ranks fifth globally.

According to 2025 data from the U.S.-based website Global Firepower, just three countries — Saudi Arabia, Algeria, and Morocco — account for the lion’s share of Arab military expenditure. Meanwhile, six Arab states each allocate less than $1 billion annually to defense.

The report details the defense budgets of 19 Arab countries, providing both regional and global rankings for military expenditure as well as global rankings of military strength. Interestingly, the data reveals no direct correlation between defense spending levels and overall military power rankings.

For instance, Egypt, which ranks eighth in the Arab world and 46th globally for defense spending, boasts the Arab world’s strongest military and the 19th strongest worldwide — outperforming several nations with significantly higher military budgets.

Below is a snapshot of military spending and army rankings for Arab countries in 2025:

Country	Defense Spending (USD Billion)	Regional Rank (Spending)	Global Rank (Spending)	Global Military Strength Rank
Saudi Arabia	74.7	1	5	24
Algeria	25	2	21	26
Morocco	13.4	3	27	59
Qatar	9.4	4	34	72
Oman	8.2	5	36	82
Iraq	7.9	6	37	43
Kuwait	6.9	7	41	79
Egypt	5.8	8	46	19
Libya	3.06	9	60	76
Jordan	2.5	10	64	75
UAE	2.2	11	70	54
Bahrain	1.6	12	75	81
Tunisia	1.4	13	79	90
Yemen	0.81	14	94	85
Lebanon	0.76	15	97	115
Sudan	0.34	16	118	73
Syria	0.29	17	124	64
Mauritania	0.26	18	127	123
Somalia	0.17	19	134	142

The Arab League comprises 22 member states, but data on military spending is unavailable for three of them — Comoros, Djibouti, and Palestine. The combined defense expenditure of the remaining 19 Arab countries is estimated at approximately $165 billion.