The best Arab Army?

Lord Sovereign

Well-known member
Now I know Arab armies are infamous for producing very poor soldiers (which isn't entirely the Arab soldiery's fault, it's just that their leaders are paranoid imbeciles who keep crippling their militaries), but as I understand it there are exceptions.

Namely, the Jordanian Military is meant to be quite good. Some even say that it's the best army in the Arab world.

I might be wrong, but I hear the Moroccan military isn't absolutely appalling either.

Oddly enough, both these Kingdoms are ruled by old royal houses which grant them the legitimacy so many of their neighbour's governments lack (God save the King, monarchy wins again).

I'm wondering if there are any more good Arab militaries out there. Not so much in terms of numbers or tanks, but more structurally speaking. IE, can these guys walk the walk?
 

WolfBear

Well-known member
Egypt during the 1973 Arab-Israeli War for breaking the Bar-Lev Line, perhaps?

For reference:


Also, maybe Iraq's army during the Iran-Iraq War should qualify for this since it did manage to hold off a much larger Iran for eight years, albeit with significant Western aid. Iraq was the Arab Muslim version of Ukraine back in the 1980s, if Ukraine would have actually committed horrific war crimes against its own population like Iraq did back then. (Ukraine didn't, obviously.)
 

PsihoKekec

Swashbuckling Accountant
Jordanian army is indeed considered the best of contemporary Arab armies, which is low bar indeed.
Oman Armed Forces are fairly professional if small.
Egyptian military has good gear, but is brought low by corruption, nepotism and utter distrust towards enlisted. They look good on parades.
Saudis have the best gear outside USA, but lose battles against flip-flop wearing guys with AKs, who are high on khat. Completely unable to maintain and operate their gear without foreign contractors. UAE and Quattar are pretty much the same.
Algerian army is built around loyalty to regime.
Morrocan army didn't perform very well against Polisario, but they are trying not to be too bad.
Tunisian Army...exists. Supposedly not too bad by arab standards


They also aren't Arabs.
The thread title is The Best Arab Army. Start your own thread for best army Sahel and Subsaharan Africa

Egypt during the 1973 Arab-Israeli War for breaking the Bar-Lev Line

You might notice that the continuation of war was nowhere as successful.
 

StormEagle

Well-known member
…This is like asking who’s the smartest kid on the short bus.

I do believe you’re on the money with the Jordanian military probably being the best Arab army now. Days past, you could probably throw Egypt into the ring, but I’m not to sure about their quality now.

Can’t really think of any other Arab states that are in the running. The Saudis and the rest of the Arabs in that area are a basket case of corruption and nepotism so deep that the very roots are rotted away at this point.
 

Lord Sovereign

Well-known member
Having read into a little bit of Arab history, it's rather sad to realise what a force of martial nature the Arab peoples were once. These guys effectively brought the Classical Age to an end, smashed the empires of Rome and Persia, brought Christendom to its knees, and yeeted China out of the Middle East.

Ah yes, and forget not that the Mamluks kicked the Mongols in the bollocks and sent them packing.

Give him leadership, give him purpose, give him unfaltering faith in his God, and the Arab soldier will conquer the world.
 

Lord Sovereign

Well-known member
Hear! Hear! That feat was indeed absolutely stupendous, old chap!
But ... what's your definition of "Middle East"? AFAIK the futhest west China got would be eastern Kazakhstan?

Good point, but it was their neck of the woods. The Battle of Talas somewhere around that part of Kazakhstan.

One could make a solid case that these were not Arabs.

Whoops! I didn't do my research there at all. Formidable warriors under Arab control, but not quite Arabs themselves. They are pretty much the cavalry version of Janissaries.

Edit: Granted, the Mamluk Sultanate was leading a coalition of sorts during the Mongol campaigns in the Levant. Arabs under their command clapped the Mongols's cheeks.
 

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