German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in Doha that Germany is prepared to deepen defense cooperation with Gulf partners such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia while continuing to review export approvals on a case-by-case basis. Merz is on a three-day Gulf tour accompanied by business leaders, including the CEOs of Uniper and Diehl Defense, pursuing deals in energy, infrastructure and defense to attract investment and secure supplies amid US tariff pressure and high European energy costs. He also said Germany aims to increase imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar.
Merz signaled a more intensive level of arms cooperation than in recent years but stressed that export decisions would still be individually assessed. He noted Berlin has already begun loosening some restrictive export rules, citing recent approval for Eurofighter sales to Saudi Arabia.
His visit followed a more than two-hour meeting in Riyadh with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. German delegates described the talks as warm and open, and said Merz wants to raise ties with Saudi Arabia to a new level across energy, defense, artificial intelligence and regional security. The push reflects Germany’s effort to diversify partnerships away from China and to secure alternative energy suppliers after cutting ties with Russia over the war in Ukraine.
Human rights remain a point of tension. Merz said he would raise concerns privately in meetings, and acknowledged human-rights issues no longer play the same public role they once did. Saudi Arabia’s human-rights record — including a rise in executions and the unresolved murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi — continues to be contentious, and Merz said such discussions often occur behind closed doors.
On regional security, Merz urged Iran to engage genuinely in talks over its nuclear program and warned of risks of military escalation, saying Germany is coordinating closely with the United States. Iran’s foreign minister publicly criticized Merz on social media; German officials dismissed that response as a sign of nervousness.
Analysts view the Gulf tour as indicative of shifting global power and of Germany’s bid to build economic and strategic alternatives to overreliance on any single partner. Deeper ties with wealthy Gulf states could bring energy supplies, investment and defense contracts that support industrial recovery and jobs, while Berlin seeks to balance those commercial interests with human-rights concerns and regional stability.