Bahrain’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, announced over $17 billion in investment deals with the United States during his high-level meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday. The agreements span several sectors including aviation, energy, advanced technology, and nuclear cooperation.
Strategic Trade, Tech, and Energy Investments
The centrepiece of the investment package is a $7 billion agreement for Gulf Air to purchase 12 Boeing aircraft, with an option for six more, and 40 General Electric engines. According to a White House official, the broader deal is expected to support 30,000 American jobs.
Crown Prince Salman underscored the seriousness of the commitment, stating, “We’re very happy to be announcing $17 billion worth of deals that are coming to the United States. And this is real. These aren’t fake deals.”
Additional agreements include partnerships with Oracle and Cisco, aimed at enhancing Bahrain’s technological infrastructure by replacing Chinese servers with Cisco systems. Bahrain also plans to increase capital allocation in U.S.-based aluminium production, LNG output, and the purchase of next-generation AI chips through partnerships with leading hyperscalers.
Security and Diplomatic Context
The announcement follows a string of foreign direct investment pledges made during President Trump’s earlier Middle East tour, including Saudi Arabia’s $600 billion U.S. investment commitment and a $142 billion defence package.
Bahrain, a Sunni-ruled Gulf monarchy and host to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, remains a key regional ally for the United States. It normalised relations with Israel in 2020 under the Abraham Accords, driven largely by mutual security concerns over Shiite-majority Iran.
During Wednesday’s Oval Office talks, Trump and Crown Prince Salman discussed regional security issues, including Iran’s stalled nuclear negotiations. The U.S., along with three major European countries, has set a late-August deadline for Iran to resume talks. The discussions come in the wake of joint U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites last month, which Tehran claims are purely civilian.
Expanding Bilateral Cooperation
Bahrain also signed multiple memoranda of understanding to formalise the investment roadmap. Notably, a new agreement on peaceful nuclear collaboration was signed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani during a separate State Department ceremony.
A senior U.S. official confirmed that Bahrain’s financial commitments were secured through direct efforts by President Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. These moves reflect Bahrain’s intention to deepen its role in U.S. economic development while aligning with American geopolitical and technological interests.
The official further noted that Bahrain’s king is expected to visit Washington later this year to finalise and expand upon the agreements made during this trip.
