Egypt, the first customer of the French arms industry in 2021

Egypt was the biggest customer of the French arms industry for export last year, according to the annual report of the Parliament published on September 27, 2022. The Middle East is, for its part, the first recipient of French arms.

French exports more than doubled in 2021: sales reached 11.7 billion euros. Figures that make France the world’s third largest exporter of military equipment, behind the United States and Russia. And in 2021, Egypt ranks first among customers with orders of 4.5 billion euros. They relate in particular to the purchase of 30 Rafale aircraft, the flagship of the French defense industry. Egypt is the first country to have ordered this equipment in 2015, specifies thes Echoes.

Exports to Europe, towards which France is seeking to redirect its activity, represented 38% of order intake for a total of 3.9 billion euros in 2021. But the best buyers are concentrated in the Near and Middle East with 44% of orders.

In addition to Egypt, there are notably Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. It is the Rafale fighter plane that is boosting orders for the French armaments industry. Abu Dhabi signed a mega-contract of 16 billion euros at the end of 2021 to acquire 80 Rafale fighter jets. It is the largest contract of its kind.