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Air Forces comparison: Flag of Qatar Qatar vs Flag of Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia's air force fields 914 active aircraft — 3.2:1 Qatar's 283.

AIRS (Air Inventory Rating of Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
Roundel of Qatar QatarWorld #22 15.6
AIRS Index / 100

Saudi Arabia leads on 5 of 6 categories

Roundel of Saudi Arabia Saudi ArabiaWorld #7 27.9
  • 126 Combat aircraftweight ×50 · generation 384
  • 86 Helicoptersweight ×10 · era 262
  • 12 Transportweight ×10 46
  • 0 Special missionweight ×8 66
  • 6 UAVsweight ×10 0
  • 53 Trainersweight ×1 156
Qatar Saudi Arabia Bars: weighted contribution to the AIRS Index (airframes × category weight; combat and bombers by generation tier, helicopters by era; the enabler, armament and availability multipliers apply on top) · figures: active airframes at each side's latest inventory year · Methodology
Key figures as of 2026
Qatar Saudi Arabia Ratio
Official name Qatar Emiri Air Force Royal Saudi Air Force
Active aircraft 283 914 🇸🇦 3.2×
Aircraft on order 44 379 🇸🇦 8.6×
Combat aircraft 126 384 🇸🇦 3.0×
Combat share of fleet 44.5 % 42.0 % 🇶🇦 1.1×
Aircraft types in service 19 27 🇸🇦 1.4×
Main supplier France · 34 % United States · 59 %
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
Helicopters 86 262 🇸🇦 3.0×
Transport aircraft 12 46 🇸🇦 3.8×
Special-mission aircraft 0 66 🇸🇦
Trainers 53 156 🇸🇦 2.9×
UAVs 6 0 🇶🇦
Backbone aircraft most numerous in service
🇶🇦 QatarF-15EX Eagle II ×48Rafale ×36NH90 / Caiman ×28
🇸🇦 Saudi ArabiaF-15E Strike Eagle ×127F-15EX Eagle II ×84Tornado ×81
Fleet evolution · Qatar
Fleet evolution · Saudi Arabia
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Qatar vsKuwaitPhilippinesMalaysiaAzerbaijanIraq
Saudi Arabia vsUnited StatesIranIsraelUnited Arab EmiratesTaiwan
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Saudi Arabia vs Egypt Air Forces Qatar vs Israel Air Forces

Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has more military aircraft, Qatar or Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia has more military aircraft with 914 active aircraft compared to Qatar's 283, a difference of 631 aircraft.
Which air force has more combat aircraft, Qatar or Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia has more combat aircraft with 384 fighters and attack aircraft compared to Qatar's 126.
Which country has more military helicopters, Qatar or Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia operates more military helicopters with 262 compared to Qatar's 86.
Which air force has more transport aircraft, Qatar or Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia has more transport aircraft with 46 compared to Qatar's 12.
How do the Qatar and Saudi Arabia air forces compare in size?
Saudi Arabia's air force is 3.8 times larger than Qatar's in terms of total active aircraft (46 vs 12).
Which country has more aircraft on order, Qatar or Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia has 379 aircraft on order compared to Qatar's 44.