Naval Support Facility reinforces Bahrain's ability to defend Gulf

Manama : Bahrain's Ambassador to the United Kingdom Shaikh Fawz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa said that the inauguration of the British Naval Support Facility in Bahrain will reinforce the ability of Manama to defend the Gulf region.

"With the region continuing to face difficult times, the British return to East of Suez is a reassuring sign that our countries remain steadfast friends and allies, with strong diplomatic, military and trade relations," Shaikh Fawaz said in an opinion piece he wrote for the Daily Telegraph.

"Such co-operation is vital in the face of the extremist and terrorist threats facing us all today. These threats are felt particularly strongly across the Gulf States, where we have seen Isil rise out of power vacuums in Iraq and Syria into a regional and international threat."

However, the ambassador said that the Gulf today is a region of challenges, but also of opportunity. 

"The Government of Bahrain is committed to strong and effective cooperation and partnership with the UK across all fields. At the end of last month His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa visited London, where he met Her Majesty the Queen, the Prime Minister, the Ambassadors of Gulf States to the United Kingdom, and a number of parliamentarians," he wrote.

Shaikh Fawaz added that the visit by the Prince of Wales to Bahrain this week was "a fitting way to mark the 200th anniversary of Anglo-Bahraini cooperation but, more importantly, it is a reaffirmation of the UK’s commitment to the Gulf, and to Bahrain in particular."

Text of the opinion piece by Shaikh Fawaz:

"Today's opening of the Royal Navy's new Bahrain base seriously enhances Britain's ability to defend the Gulf

Today on his trip to Bahrain, His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales has opened a new Naval Support Facility (NSF) in Manama. It is a fitting way to mark the 200th anniversary of Anglo-Bahraini cooperation but, more importantly, it is a reaffirmation of the UK’s commitment to the Gulf, and to Bahrain in particular.

With the region continuing to face difficult times, the British return to East of Suez is a reassuring sign that our countries remain steadfast friends and allies, with strong diplomatic, military and trade relations.

The NSF is the latest initiative in a long-standing defence relationship that has cemented ties between our kingdoms. It will be the second busiest centre of operations for the Royal Navy after Portsmouth. It will allow the British Navy to re-crew, resupply and undergo repairs in the Gulf without having to return to the UK or other ports, saving time and reducing costs.

The facility is just one element of an enduring British presence in Bahrain. The RAF has had strong links for over 90 years, from its first presence in Bahrain in 1924 and the establishment of a base during World War II, to the critical role played by RAF aircraft operating from the kingdom in the liberation of Kuwait in 1991.

Such co-operation is vital in the face of the extremist and terrorist threats facing us all today. These threats are felt particularly strongly across the Gulf States, where we have seen Isil rise out of power vacuums in Iraq and Syria into a regional and international threat.

The UK has played a prominent and effective role in tackling the global challenge of terrorism and extremism. It has been a leading member of the Global Coalition Against Terrorism, taking part in international operations to disrupt and defeat terrorist groups. On the domestic front, the UK’s deradicalisation programmes are among the most effective anywhere in the world. Such initiatives to tackle extremism before it takes root are the only long-term solution to the problem.

Today's Gulf is a region of challenges, but also of opportunity. The Government of Bahrain is committed to strong and effective cooperation and partnership with the UK across all fields.

At the end of last month His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa visited London, where he met Her Majesty the Queen, the Prime Minister, the Ambassadors of Gulf States to the United Kingdom, and a number of parliamentarians.

During the visit, His Majesty extended an invitation to Theresa May to attend the 37th Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit being hosted in Manama next month. His Majesty, as the summit’s president, also outlined the Council’s interest in a free trade agreement between the UK and the GCC, which would significantly increase the UK’s access to the GCC’s £1.3 trillion market; a market estimated to grow by a further £400 billion by 2020.

Bilateral trade between Bahrain and the UK generated £432 million in 2015 alone, an increase of 35 per cent on the previous year. And the Kingdom is firmly committed to expanding these mutually beneficial trade relations. Relative to its size, Bahrain already hosts a large number of British companies: 500 British brands, 90 British company branches, and 350 Bahraini-British business partnerships. These businesses operate in some of Bahrain’s key sectors, including banking, accounting, law and industry.

Bahrain is building on its longstanding status as the gateway to the GCC’s rapidly expanding market, leveraging our highly-educated workforce and liberal business environment – which offers a low tax regime and some of the lowest business costs in the region – to attract international investors.

In this post-Brexit world, these long-standing trade ties provide the perfect platform to deepen and expand trading links with the entire region.

Whether it is through trade agreements or joint military ventures, our two countries have long been mutually supportive.

Prince Charles' visit is an auspicious moment marking two centuries of respect and cooperation, and the Kingdom of Bahrain is steadfast in its commitment to further strengthening these relations long into the future."