The Canadian government promoted it as the "largest advanced manufacturing export win" in the country's history.

The deal, announced in February, will see Canada's division of General Dynamics Land Systems build more than $10bn worth of light armored vehicles (LAVs) and associated equipment for Saudi Arabia. Canadian Minister of International Trade Ed Fast touted the "landmark" contract as a way to benefit hundreds of local supply firms and create thousands of advanced manufacturing jobs, particularly in the populous region of southern Ontario.

But critics contend the Saudi deal represents a dangerous escalation in Canada's willingness to supply military equipment to repressive regimes, and a lack of regard for what impact the equipment could have on the ground - particularly in light of a new report showing Saudi leads the Middle East in military spending.

"Under Canada's own guidelines, this sale should not have gone forward, and in the future similar sales should not go forward," said Kenneth Epps, senior programme officer with Project Ploughshares, a Canadian non-governmental organization that advocates non-violence. Epps, who has been tracking Canada's global weapons sales for decades, called the Saudi deal unprecedented in scope.

PHOTO CAPTION

Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud speaks with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2010 [AP]

Aljazeera