Fifth Strategic Dialogue between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United States: Towards Strengthening a Comprehensive Partnership
On January 26, 2026, the fifth strategic dialogue between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United States of America concluded in Manama, with the Kingdom participating through four specialized working groups, The last of these was the working group on “Enhancing Strategic Cooperation to Support Peace and Security,” chaired by Ambassador Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali Al Khalifa, Director General of Bilateral Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ms. Alison Hooker, US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs. According to the final statement issued following this meeting, both sides emphasized the importance of this dialogue in strengthening the two countries’ commitment to bilateral and regional security, expressing their aspiration to continue the dialogue in the future, in addition to their commitment to protecting freedom of navigation in international waters and the safe passage of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Although these dialogue meetings began only recently – on December 1, 2020, coinciding with the coronavirus pandemic, reflecting the two countries’ keenness to establish them – they have become an important mechanism for direct and transparent discussion between them, exchanging views on the security priorities of both sides and ways to implement them, in a manner that achieves their common interests. The Kingdom of Bahrain is an important regional partner for the United States, as evidenced by three indicators: First: Bahrain is the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet, which plays a pivotal role in protecting maritime navigation in an area of 3.5 million square miles of international waters, including the Arabian Gulf and its geostrategic surroundings. Various maritime task forces from many countries around the world operate under its umbrella. Second: The United States granted the Kingdom of Bahrain the status of a non-NATO ally in 2002, which includes ways to strengthen the partnership in the military field. Third: The two countries signed an agreement on security integration and comprehensive prosperity in 2023, which includes defense, economic, and technological aspects. The United Kingdom joined in 2024, making it a multilateral framework for coordination and cooperation in various fields.
Despite the importance of these indicators, the dialogue took place against the backdrop of international developments that added significant weight to its agenda, including the Kingdom of Bahrain’s commencement of its non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council for the period 2026-2027, during which it identified priority issues, including achieving peace, and pursuing dialogue to resolve conflicts, in addition to the Kingdom’s announcement of its accession to the US-led Peace Council, which aims to resolve international conflicts. Regionally, threats to maritime navigation continue, a comprehensive challenge that has been addressed by the Bahrain-US partnership and the two countries’ commitment to countering these threats through the Kingdom’s participation in the the Maritime Security Alliance in the Arabian Gulf in 2019 and the Prosperity Guardian Alliance in 2023 to protect maritime navigation in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Both alliances were established during the first and second terms of US President Donald Trump.
Cooperation between the two countries is not limited to military and security fields, but extends to many other areas, including artificial intelligence, peaceful nuclear energy, energy, education, and the economy, within the framework of the free trade agreement. This reflects the desire of both parties to establish a comprehensive and ongoing partnership that meets their aspirations and enhances joint coordination in facing current challenges at the regional and global levels.
With its balanced foreign policy promoting stability and security at the regional and international levels, the Kingdom of Bahrain has consistently proven itself to be a reliable and important regional partner for the United States, while also establishing a positive image among its diplomats. In an interview with Bahraini media, Ms. Stephanie Halette, the newly appointed US Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain, said, “I have returned home,” having previously worked at the US Embassy in the Kingdom at the beginning of her diplomatic career.
Promises to begin with, regional security threats—which are also threats to global powers, including the United States—make continued coordination between the United States and the Kingdom of Bahrain through strategic dialogue, as one of the channels of coordination between the two friendly countries, essential in light of the fact that — make continued coordination between the United States and the Kingdom of Bahrain — through strategic dialogue as one of the channels of coordination between the two friendly countries — essential, given the fact that global security and prosperity begin in the Arabian Gulf region. This has been confirmed during the crises that the region has witnessed over the past decades, especially the importance of preserving vital waterways for international navigation, which requires not only continued bilateral efforts, but also multilateral regional cooperation to confront unprecedented security threats.
Note: This article has been automatically translated, the full article is available in Arabic.
Dr. Ashraf Mohammed Keshk, Head of Strategic & International
