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The United States has deployed two more Patriot missile batteries in the Gulf to protect key energy facilities in Saudi Arabia and gas infrastructure in Qatar. Washington is increasing its military presence in the Middle East as tensions with Iran rise.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar are not new users of Patriot systems: both countries have invested in the US-made systems for years, spending billions of dollars. The main change is the expansion in the number and range of facilities requiring protection.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar’s Patriot purchases
Saudi Arabia has used Patriot systems for decades. In August 2022, Washington approved the possible sale of 300 GEM-T missiles and related equipment, valued at $3.05 billion. The United States said the sale would help replenish stocks depleted by repeated missile attacks.
A larger package was announced in January 2026. It includes 730 PAC-3 MSE interceptor missiles, kits to modify launchers, spare parts, logistics, training, software and technical support. The package is valued at about $9 billion. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said the sale would strengthen the kingdom’s integrated air and missile defense capabilities.
This figure does not mean each missile costs $12.3 million: the package covers a range of other expenses in addition to the missiles. US budget documents provide about $1.36 billion for 245 PAC-3 MSE missiles and related program costs in fiscal year 2026. That works out to roughly $5.5 million per missile, but it is not an exact unit price because the figure also includes support and other costs.
Qatar has also invested heavily in these systems. In 2012, the United States notified Congress of a possible $9.9 billion Patriot package for Doha. The proposal included 11 firing units, 11 radar sets, 44 launchers, 246 GEM-T and 768 PAC-3 missiles, as well as training, infrastructure and logistics.
Deploying and maintaining a battery—with its radars, launchers, command and communications equipment, power units, missiles and personnel—can cost hundreds of millions of dollars, depending on its configuration.
Protecting energy and other critical facilities
Air defense plans in the Gulf previously focused mainly on military bases and the threat of ballistic missiles. The facilities now requiring protection also include oil fields, refineries, export terminals, liquefied natural gas plants, power stations, airports, desalination plants and major cities.
A strike on any one of these facilities can have serious consequences beyond its immediate vicinity. An attack on an oil terminal could disrupt exports, a strike on a gas facility could affect international supplies, and damage to a power plant or water desalination facility could disrupt daily life for civilians. The concentration of critical infrastructure along the Gulf coast makes its protection even more complex.
Directing Patriot systems toward Saudi oil facilities and Qatar’s gas infrastructure shows that energy sites have moved to the front line of regional defense.
Relatively inexpensive drones pose an additional challenge because interceptor missiles used to repel an attack can cost many times more than the weapon they target. During a large-scale attack involving dozens of missiles and drones, defenders may have to counter several waves while retaining stocks for further attacks.
This situation is prompting governments to build up larger missile stockpiles, buy additional launchers and establish layered defenses. Gulf countries are supplementing Patriot and THAAD systems with fighter aircraft and shorter-range air defense assets. However, no system can protect all facilities at the same time.
Houthi attacks add to Saudi Arabia’s burden
Since Riyadh joined the war in Yemen in 2015, Saudi Arabia has faced Houthi missile and drone attacks. Several attacks have targeted the kingdom’s energy infrastructure, creating an additional challenge for air defenses.
Attacks claimed by the Houthis in 2019 damaged the Abqaiq oil processing facility and the Khurais oil field. Saudi Arabia’s oil production temporarily fell by more than half as a result. In 2022, an attack on an Aramco fuel distribution facility in Jeddah caused a fire.
The attacks also depleted Saudi Arabia’s stocks of air defense missiles. For this reason, the United States approved a possible sale of 300 Patriot GEM-T missiles for $3.05 billion in 2022 to replenish those stocks.
After a period of relative calm following the 2022 ceasefire, Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia resumed in 2026. The group has threatened the kingdom’s energy facilities and shipping in the Red Sea, raising concerns about the security of oil export routes.
The port city of Yanbu is particularly important. It is connected to the East-West pipeline, which allows Saudi Arabia to transport oil to the Red Sea without sending it through the Strait of Hormuz.
The kingdom therefore faces potential missile and drone threats from Iran to the east and the Houthis to the south. Amid threats from multiple directions, maintaining a sufficient stock of costly interceptor missiles to protect oil, gas and other critical facilities is becoming an increasingly important economic issue for Saudi Arabia.
Washington’s objectives include protecting its Gulf allies and ensuring the region’s energy infrastructure remains operational if a confrontation with Iran expands. The United States has also sent additional ships, aircraft and troops to the region.
