Bulgaria’s defence industry – which was on the brink of collapse in the early 2010s – is now one of the most productive sectors of the Bulgarian economy, exporting a record 1.2 billion euros’ worth of weapons in 2017, up by 20 per cent compared to the year before.

About half of the arms and munitions go to the Middle East, with the lion’s share being sold to Saudi Arabia.

In six years, from practically no trade at all, the gulf kingdom has become the number-one purchaser of Bulgarian weapons and armed systems.