Bahrain announces $17 billion in US deals during Trump talks
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Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa on Wednesday announced plans to invest over $17 billion in the United States during a meeting with former President Donald Trump. The high-level discussions focused on trade, Iran, and regional security matters.
As part of the investment package, Bahrain is expected to sign a $7 billion deal for its national airline, Gulf Air, to purchase 12 Boeing aircraft, with an option for six additional planes, along with 40 General Electric engines, according to a White House official.
'We're very happy to be announcing $17 billion worth of deals that are coming to the United States,' Crown Prince Salman said during an Oval Office visit. 'And this is real. These aren't fake deals.'
The announcement came on the heels of previous foreign investment commitments Trump secured during his 2023 visit to the Middle East. During his stop in Riyadh, the former president obtained a $600-billion investment pledge from Saudi Arabia and agreed to sell an arms package worth nearly $142 billion.
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Sunni-ruled Bahrain remains a key security ally of the United States in the Gulf, hosting the US Navy's Fifth Fleet. It normalized relations with Israel in 2020 under the US-brokered Abraham Accords, driven by mutual concerns over Shiite-majority Iran. Bahrain's exports currently face a 10% baseline tariff under Trump's trade policy but have avoided broader levies imposed on other countries.
Trump said he and the crown prince would also discuss Iran behind closed doors. The Islamic Republic has come under increased pressure to resume nuclear negotiations, with Washington and three European powers setting a late-August deadline to revive the stalled talks.
Last month, the US and Israel carried out joint strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, alleging that Tehran's programme was aimed at developing nuclear weapons. Iran has consistently maintained that its nuclear programme is intended solely for civilian purposes.
According to a US official, the Bahrain investment deal is expected to support 30,000 American jobs. The agreement was facilitated with assistance from Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
In addition to the aircraft deal, Bahrain is expected to sign agreements with US tech giants Oracle and Cisco. The Gulf state plans to replace Chinese-made servers with Cisco products and expand its investments in US energy, technology, and manufacturing sectors.
Further plans include increasing US domestic aluminium production, investing in LNG (liquefied natural gas) to bolster energy supplies, and purchasing advanced AI chips in partnership with American hyperscalers.
Also Read: Pro-Palestinian demonstrator arrested at Tour de France
During the visit, multiple agreements and memoranda of understanding were signed, including one to promote a peaceful nuclear partnership between Bahrain and the United States. The document was signed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani during a meeting at the State Department.
The US official confirmed that Bahrain's King is expected to visit Washington later this year to finalize the agreements and solidify efforts to deepen economic ties between the two nations.
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