Military of Saudi Arabia
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Military branches:
- Land Force (Army),
- Navy (including a Naval Air Wing and Marines),
- Air Force (RSAF),
- Air Defense Force,
- Saudi Arabian National Guard,
- Ministry of Interior Forces (paramilitary)
Military Situation: With the collapse of the Iraqi Ba'athist regime in mid-2003, the greatest conventional threat to The Kingdom was eliminated. The military situation became both less threatening and more complex.
The most important threats now are from tribesmen in Yemen who cross the frontier at will (as they have for centuries) and whose presence threatens Saudi territorial integrity. The Islamic Republic of Iran is another potential threat. Its behavior since the fall of the Shah has generally been introverted, but also unpredictable and therefore worrying.
Iranian air or sea action could threaten the free flow of oil, critical both to the industrial world and to the oil-producing countries. Shiite Iran could extend its reach (perhaps through Bahrain) to subvert the Shiite minority in Saudi Arabia.
Internal subversion is now the major threat. This is heightened by a growing population of young men who are facing daunting challenges to simply find work. Although Saudi Arabia is exceptionally religious and defers to religious authorities on many issues, the behavior and legitimacy of the Kingdom is under constant rhetorical attack from both liberal and conservative groups.
Such a threat cannot easily be contained by a military tailored to a more conventional scenario.
The rise of internal threats coincided with the American invasion of Iraq to the north. Car bombs and other attacks have been organized by cells based within the Kingdom. The police and intelligence communities have come to the forefront of the nation's defense.
The military is a major employer, and so it provides some relief to the nation's huge unemployment problem by bringing many young men into the defense of the government.
Military manpower - military age: 17 years of age (18 Hijri years)
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49:
8,240,714 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49:
4,725,514 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males:
246,343 (2004 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $18 billion (2002)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 10% (2002)