BERLIN: The German government has halted all arms exports to Saudi Arabia, according to a report in Sunday's edition of the Bild newspaper.

The report said that Chancellor Angela Merkel, her deputy Sigmar Gabriel, and the other ministers on the government security council had either rejected contracts or deferred a decision on them when they met on Wednesday.

There was no official confirmation of the decision as the council's meetings are confidential, but the report cited sources within the government as saying the situation in the region was too unstable to send any more weapons there.

Saudi Arabia is one of the German arms industry's most important customers: in 2013, the security council approved exports to the oil-rich Gulf nation worth 360 million euros (403 million dollars).

Germany is the world's third-largest arms exporter.

Vice Chancellor Gabriel, who is also leader of the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), had announced a more restrictive policy of arms exports to non-EU countries last year, but weapons sales only declined slightly in the first half of 2014.

Saudi Arabia is often accused of human rights violations. International heads of state have flown to Saudi Arabia over the weekend to offer their condolences for the death of King Abdullah earlier in the week. Merkel did not go, but sent former president Christian Wulff in her place.-dpa