Summary Saudi Arabia is considering buying 54 Rafales, with the deal potentially signaling a move away from Eurofighter Typhoons. There is speculation that the large Rafale order may have been used as a tactic to get the Eurofighter Typhoon deal unblocked by Germany. Saudi Arabia might opt to purchase both Rafales and Typhoons, following Qatar's example, to maintain a diverse and impressive fighter jet fleet.
For years now, some of the world's largest arms importers have been the Gulf States - with the biggest spender being the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has an existing large 48-jet Eurofighter Typhoon order but appears to be considering placing another large fighter jet for France's Dassault Rafales . These two European jets started as the same pan-European project , but disagreements saw France go by itself and produce its own jet independently.
Saudi Arabia asks for a quote for 54 Rafales According to Army Recognition , Saudi Arabia is currently exploring the option to purchase 52 Rafales (Dassault has seen its orders for the French jet take off in recent years). France's Rafale is seen as a capable fighter jet and an alternative to purchasing Russian-made jets (which has become largely untenable in recent years) . However, instead of pursuing the Typhoon deal, there is debate about whether Saudi Arabia will seek to purchase more Rafales.
Last October, the La Tribune and Europe 1 reported that Saudi Arabia had submitted a request to Dassault for a "price proposal" for 54 Rafales. This followed a meeting by the French Defense Minister and the Saudi Defense Minister. Around half a dozen Western fighter jets are in production today, with rates ranging from around 10 per year to over 150 annually.
Ploy to get Eurofighter Typhoons unblocked? Saudi Arabia had a deal to purchase 48 Eurofighter Typhoons, but worsening political relations led Germany to block the export in 2018. This block was lifted earlier this year. Some suggest that the interest in Rafales may have been a way to maneuver to get the Typhoons unstuck.
Indeed, Germany lifted its veto on arms destined for the Arabian kingdom around three months after Saudi Arabia requested the Rafale quote. With Germany lifting its vote, the United Kingdom would potentially be able to sell the Eurofighters to Saudi Arabia. Still, the increased cooperation between France and Saudi Arabia appears real, so there could be a genuine interest in switching to the Rafale (although Rafale's large order book and lack of production capacity may be a concern ).
The Eurofighter is currently produced at a rate of around 10 per year, while 13 Rafales were produced in 2023 (although this is being ramped up). According to Forbes , another option for Saudi Arabia is to follow the example of its smaller neighbor, Qatar, and purchase both of them. According to FlightGlobal , Saudi Arabia currently has 72 Eurofighter Typhoons in service along with 211 F-15C/S/SA and 81 aging Tornado IDS 81s.
Despite a population of around 3 million (of which just over 300,000 are citizens), Qatar has an impressive fighter jet fleet of 36 F-15s, 36 Rafales, and 24 Eurofighters (so it is plausible that Saudi Arabia could handle both the Eurofighter and the Rafale)..
