Qatar isn't taking its maritime defense lightly, with Italian government sources telling Reuters that the emirate plans to sign a 5 billion euro ($5.6 billion) deal for four corvette warships.
According to the sources, a Qatari delegation is heading to Rome this week to sign the papers and finalize the agreement with Italy's state-controlled ship builder Fincantieri. Qatar and Fincantieri were expected to sign the deal earlier this spring but Qatar held out to review a competing bid from France, according to Defense News .
Italy appears to have been courting Qatar's business for a few years, with defense officials from the country visiting Doha in 2013 promoting their country's arms exports. In March, Fincantieri was announced as the Diamond Sponsor of the biennial Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference.
Qatar has been spending significantly on defense in the past few years, including other significant investments in its navy. In 2014, Qatar placed orders for Turkish-made interceptor vessels and patrol ships as well as Zodiac attacks boats.
Just this April, the emirate announced plans to purchase more than $30 billion worth of arms to build up its military. In 2014, the country also announced more than $20 billion in new arms deals.
Regionally, Qatar has been involved militarily in the ongoing war in Yemen and has helped to fund rebel groups in Syria in addition to operating a training base, in conjunction with the CIA, for rebel fighters.