Merchants of Death

Arms exports have increased on growing demand from countries in conflict. From 2015 to 2019, international weapons exports grew by 5.5 percent from the 2010-2014 period.

Shipments from the US grew by 23 percent, raising its share of total global arms exports to 36 percent.

Between 2015 and 2019, the US delivered major arms to 96 countries.

Half of US arms exports went to the Middle East, and half of that to Saudi Arabia, the world's number one importer of major arms.

The kingdom's arms imports jumped by 130 percent from the 2010-2014 period, and it was on the receiving end of 12 percent of global major arms transfers in 2015 to 2019.

The fact that so much heavy weaponry is exported to the Middle East is particularly "of concern", Wezeman said, as the region is experiencing "conflicts and tensions and potential further conflict escalation".

Despite "wide-ranging concerns" in the UK and the US about Saudi Arabia's military intervention in Yemen, both countries continued to export arms to Saudi Arabia.

Exports of French arms saw one of the most dramatic increases -- up 72 percent from the five previous years -- putting France ahead of Germany as the third largest exporter in the world, with 7.9 percent of global exports.

Over half of France's arms exports were to Egypt, Qatar and India, with deliveries of the Rafale combat aircraft to these countries accounting for nearly a quarter of total French exports.