£3bn defence deal

Manama : The United Kingdom will spend over GBP3 billion to strengthen its military presence in the Arabian Gulf region, affirmed British Prime Minister Theresa May, while pointing out the establishment of the under-construction British naval base here and other key military projects and schemes in other GCC states.

In her speech at the closing session of the 37th GCC Summit, Theresa May stressed UK’s commitment to the security of the Arabian Gulf region. 

In a joint statement after the summit, Britain and the GCC agreed to a “strategic partnership” that would foster political, defence, security and trade ties, while “developing collective approaches to regional issues”. 

“We will invest in hard power, with over GBP3 billion of defence spending in the region over the next decade, spending more on defence in the Gulf than in any other region. Through the construction of HMS Jufair, we will create a permanent presence in the region, with more British warships, aircraft and personnel deployed on operations in the Gulf than in any other part of the world,” she said in her speech.

“Gulf security is our security”

“Extremists plotting terror attacks here are not only targeting the Gulf but, the streets of Europe too. Whether we are confronting Al Qaeda or the Daesh, no country is a more committed partner for you in this fight than the UK,” the Prime Minister stated.

“At the same time, a regional land training hub in Oman is establishing a permanent British army presence in the region. We will also go further in deepening our defence co-operation through a new Strategic Partnership between the UK and the GCC, supporting the development of your defence capacity, including for humanitarian operations and crisis response planning.” 

On  strengthening military cooperation and renewing relationship the British Premier told GCC leaders yesterday that UK will make a more enduring commitment to the
long-term security of the Gulf.