US approves $40.8 billion worth of weapons sales to Gulf

The United States has approved $40.8 billion worth of weapons sales to the Gulf countries, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates in the last two months.

The largest amount of the military equipment was purchased by Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates which spent the largest amount of the money to purchase cargo and attack helicopters, according to the US Defense and Security Cooperation Agency.

Recently on December 7, Saudi Arabia approved the purchase of 48 CH-47F cargo helicopters worth $3.5 billion, while UAE decided to buy 28 AH-64 type attack helicopters.

Meanwhile, Kuwait decided to buy $37 million worth of blind bombs in December of 2016.

One of the largest buyers of arms from the U.S. is Qatar, which approved to buy more than US$21 billion in weapons in November and December of 2016.

In September, the U.S. was poised to sell $7 billion worth of Boeing Co fighter jets to Qatar and Kuwait after years of delays.

'Risky' purchases

Also in 2015, the United States and France both increased their overseas weapons sales with U.S. arms sales that grew to around US$4 billion in 2015 and France's that grew well over US$9 billion.

The purchases followed a treatment which eases the defense purchases and maintains the cooperation between Gulf countries and the U.S.

In a previous report, the London-based nongovernmental organization Amnesty International indicated the high possibility that arms Middle Eastern countries exported are seized by the Daesh terrorist organization.