Turkey, Egypt or Saudi, who has the most powerful army among Arab countries, at what number is Oman? where PM visits

PM Modi Oman Visit: The Arab world has always been in the news due to geopolitical tensions, oil wealth and strategic importance. In such a situation, the natural question arises every day that who has the most powerful army among the Arab countries? And where does the military might of Oman, a relatively small but stable country, fall in this order? PM Narendra Modi has now reached Oman after Jordan and Ethiopia. Let us try to understand these questions on this pretext.

Many indices are used internationally to measure military strength. Prominent among them is the Global Firepower Index (GFP), which ranks the conventional military capability of any country based on dozens of parameters, such as number of troops, count of tanks and aircraft, defense budget, logistics and geographical location etc.

Which Arab country has a powerful army?

According to the latest ranking of the year 2025, Oman is also included in the list of countries of the Middle East region, whose rank is 13th. Global Firepower’s 2025 Middle East Military Strength list ranks the countries of the Middle East in order of strength. Many Arab countries are also included in these. In this regional list, Turkey is at the top while Israel and Iran are at number two and three respectively. Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Iraq are at fourth, fifth and sixth positions respectively, while UAE, Syria, Qatar, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Yemen and Lebanon are at seventh to 15th positions respectively. If we look at only the Arab countries and leave aside Turkey, Iran, Israel, then the most powerful armies within the Arab world can be considered to be Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, UAE etc. respectively.

Egypt: traditionally the largest Arab army

Egypt is ranked among the world’s top 20 armies in Global Firepower’s global list and also ranks high in the Middle East regional list. Egypt’s Power Index score in the year 2025 ranking is around 0.3427, making it a strong conventional military power. The main points of Egypt’s strength are as follows. Large standing army and reserve forces, large numbers of tanks, armored vehicles and artillery, control over strategic waterways such as the Suez Canal, procurement of arms from diverse sources such as Russia, the US and France. In this way, compared to Arab countries, Egypt is often called the most powerful Arab army in terms of ground forces and numbers.

Saudi Arabia: the power of money and modern technology

While Egypt is ahead in numbers and conventional power, Saudi Arabia is very strong in terms of modern weapons, high-tech air force and defense budget. Saudi Arabia’s score in the Global Firepower Index 2025 is approximately 0.4201, and it is among the top 25 armies in the world. Saudi Arabia holds one of the largest defense budgets in the world.

Modern fighter aircraft (F-15, Eurofighter Typhoon etc.), drones and advanced missile systems, latest air defense and strategic situation in the Gulf region, practical experience in conflicts like Yemen war. Therefore, if the standard is that of a technologically advanced and modern military, Saudi Arabia appears to be at the forefront; Whereas on the scale of numbers and extensive traditional strength, Egypt takes the top position.

At what position is Oman?

Oman has been ranked 13th in Global Firepower’s 2025 Middle East Military Strength list, while its Power Index is recorded at around 1.8047. Among the 15 countries of the Middle East, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, UAE, Syria, Qatar, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain etc. are above Oman and only Yemen and Lebanon are below. That is, at the regional level, Oman comes in the lower ranks, but this does not mean that Oman’s army is weak or unimportant. Oman is a relatively small, but stable and diplomatically balanced country. There are some salient features of its military strength.

Oman is ahead in training

Due to low population, the size of the army is limited, but the training of the soldiers is of high quality. Due to historical military cooperation with Britain, Omani officers have been receiving international level training. Oman plays a relatively neutral role in regional disputes. It creates a diplomatic shield of security for itself by maintaining balanced relations with Iran, Saudi Arabia and Western countries.

Oman’s geography, especially its proximity to the Strait of Hormuz, makes it strategically important. Many international sea routes pass through Omani territory, increasing its role in maritime security. Oman’s defense budget is not as large as that of Saudi Arabia or the UAE, but it maintains a balanced air, land and naval capability with limited resources.

Which is appropriate to call the most powerful Arab army?

This question is not just about numbers but about standards. Some main points are as follows.

• Egypt clearly appears ahead in conventional numbers and ground power. With a large standing army, reserves and heavy equipment, it is a classic military power of the Arab world.
• Saudi Arabia and UAE are stronger in terms of defense budget and high-tech modern army. Modern jets, drones, missile defence, naval assets and close defense cooperation with western countries make them technologically advanced.
• In terms of regional intervention and war experience, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and Egypt have played different roles in conflicts like Yemen, Libya and Syria, which tested their operational capabilities. Therefore, a balanced conclusion can be that Egypt is the strongest Arab army in terms of numbers and conventional military capability. Saudi Arabia is the leading Arab power in terms of high technology, defense budget and modern equipment.

Oman’s location and its importance

Even though Oman is ranked 13th in the Global Firepower ranking, from a practical point of view it maintains a very balanced and capable army considering its size, population and resources. Oman adopts a defensive security model for itself. It avoids jumping into large-scale regional conflicts openly and tries to play a mediating or balancing role. It has that much army, which is considered sufficient to protect its borders, coastline and strategic points. In other words, Oman’s strength lies in its non-aggressive foreign policy, stability and geo-strategic position, and not just in the number of tanks and aircraft.

Thus, it is very difficult to decide who has the most powerful army among the Arab countries, depending on which yardstick you choose.

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