Bahrain announces $17 billion investment in US as Trump welcomes crown prince at White House
Bahrain and the US have announced a trade deal worth $17 billion as the US continues to deepen ties with wealthy gulf states, with Trump praising the country as a ‘fantastic ally’.
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Donald Trump is hosting Bahrain’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa at the White House on Wednesday.
The meeting saw the two leaders agree a trade deal worth $17 billion, likely to involve the aerospace industry.
The deal is expected to see Gulf Air buying 12 aircraft from Boeing for around $7 billion, with an option for six more. It also includes the purchase of 40 GE engines.
The two countries have also signed a deal on Tuesday, paving the way for a civilian-nuclear cooperation deal, known as a ‘123 agreement’.
It will allow American companies to invest in and build nuclear energy projects in Bahrain, which are not designed to be used for military purposes.
Bahrain is home to the US Navy’s ‘Fifth Fleet’, which patrols the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani signed the framework agreement on Wednesday, after Rubio signed a similar memorandum with Malaysia last week.
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“The United States is prepared to be partner with any nation on Earth that wants to pursue a civil nuclear program that clearly is not geared towards weapons and or threatening the security of their neighbors,” Rubio said.
The Bahraini Crown Prince said the country had no plans to divert US-made Patriot missiles to Ukraine, as the country continues asking the US for the high-tech air defence missiles in its war with Russia.
“We have no current plans [to send them to Ukraine] as we have an operational requirement inside Bahrain, to keep them there”, Al Khalifa said.
“He’s got plenty of them, too,” Trump chimed in, adding that “He has the choice of everything, but we make the best military equipment by far in the world, there’s nothing close.”
Donald Trump has ruled out sending long-range missiles to Ukraine after reports emerged he was considering handing Kyiv the advanced weapons to strike the Russian capital.
Asked on Tuesday whether he would deliver the deep-range weapons to Ukraine, the US President replied: “No, we’re not looking to do that.”
He added that Ukraine should avoid striking Moscow, saying: “I’m on nobody’s side. You know whose side I’m on? Humanity’s side.”
It comes just days after Trump announced that Russia will be hit with 'very severe tariffs' if a ceasefire with Ukraine isn't brokered within 50 days.
In a joint press conference, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte the US is "going to make top-of-the-line weapons" and send them to NATO, which will be paid for by the EU.
Through the deal, Ukraine can get its hands on "really massive numbers of military equipment" for air defence, missiles and ammunition, Rutte added.