Jun 10, 2026 · 44 min · 16 segments
Why are the most militarized states in the Middle East still the most insecure? And what does that tell us about where the rest of the world is heading? Zeina Soufan sits down with Karim…
Karim HaggagGuest
Zeina SoufanHost
Kareem, why do even the most militarily capable states in the Middle East appear increasingly insecure today? Has the region entered an era where no actor fully believes stability can be guaranteed anymore?
So yes, the Middle East is one of the most heavily militarized regions globally.
So at CIPRI, we track military expenditures on an annual basis and a global basis.
For 2026, military expenditures in the Middle East reached a record high of $218 billion.
Now, to get to your question, Zeina, military expenditures and military resources in and of themselves rarely bring security.
When you rely solely on military capabilities without these other pillars of security, what we have is exactly what we see in the region.
We are in a situation in which none of the major regional actors can take for granted their security, precisely because the assumption has been that reliance on military means alone affords security.
Kareem, why do even the most militarily capable states in the Middle East appear increasingly insecure today? Has the region entered an era where no actor fully believes stability can be guaranteed anymore?
So yes, the Middle East is one of the most heavily militarized regions globally.
So at CIPRI, we track military expenditures on an annual basis and a global basis.
For 2026, military expenditures in the Middle East reached a record high of $218 billion.
Now, to get to your question, Zeina, military expenditures and military resources in and of themselves rarely bring security.
When you rely solely on military capabilities without these other pillars of security, what we have is exactly what we see in the region.
We are in a situation in which none of the major regional actors can take for granted their security, precisely because the assumption has been that reliance on military means alone affords security.
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