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Bahrain

 Flag of Bahrain

Last reviewed: 17 November 2008

Country information

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Bahrain is a member of the Gulf Co-operation Council alongside its neighbours Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.

Bahrain is a partner in the regional airline Gulf Air, currently with the Sultanate of Oman (Qatar withdrew from the partnership in 2002, as did Abu Dhabi in 2005).

On 16 March 2001, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) announced its judgement on the long-standing maritime delimitation and territorial dispute between Bahrain and Qatar. The judgement awarded sovereignty over the Hawar Islands and Qit'at Jaradah to Bahrain and sovereignty over Zubarah, which forms part of the Qatar peninsula, Janan Island and Fasht ad Dibal to Qatar, and redrew the international maritime border. This peaceful settlement has provided the impetus for renewed co-operation between the two countries.

Bahrain hosted the second Forum for the Future meeting in November 2005 to further advance the partnership between the G8 and the broader Middle East and North Africa, and hosts the annual IISS Gulf Dialogue (“the Manama Dialogue”). This is organised by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), one of the world’s leading international affairs research institutes.

RELATIONS WITH THE UK

The UK's longstanding bilateral relationship with Bahrain is in excellent health. The UK continues to support the political and economic reform agendas and to develop co-operation in other areas, particularly through the FCO Global Opportunities Fund (GOF). British advisers, including serving UK police officers, work in several Ministries. The UK Home Office signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Interior on 20 October 2005 aimed at promoting co-operation on a number of issues, including Counter Terrorism and Civil Policing. A bilateral Economic Memorandum of Understanding was signed on 6 September 2006. Relations between the House of Windsor and the Al Khalifa are exceptionally warm, even by regional standards.

Cultural Relations with the UK

Bahrain has traditionally had one of the best educational systems in the region. Educational reform is a key element of the wider economic reform programme and Bahrain has for some time been seeking to become the prime training centre in the region. It is also a key area of bilateral co-operation, for example in the field of Citizenship Education, and our support for the introduction of national standards for vocational qualifications based on the NVQ system. A large and growing number of Bahrainis study at UK universities at both undergraduate and graduate level.

British Council: Bahrain

Recent Visits from Bahrain:

  • January 2007: HH The Crown Prince;
  • August 2006: HM The King, on the occasion of his son’s 'Passing Out' ceremony at RMA Sandhurst;
  • April 2006: HH the Prime Minister, on the occasion of his grandson's 'Passing Out' ceremony at Sandhurst;
  • January 2006: HH The Crown Prince;
  • January 2006: HE the Minister of Foreign Affairs;
  • October 2005: HE Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al-Khalifa, Minister of Interior;
  • July 2005: HM The King;
  • July 2004: HM The King; HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs; the Minister of the Interior.

Recent Visits to Bahrain:

  • March 2007: HRH The Duke of York;
  • February 2007: HRH The Prince of Wales and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall;
  • November 2006: HRH The Princess Royal;
  • January 2006: HRH The Duke of York;
  • December 2006: John Reid MP, Secretary of State for Defence;
  • October 2005: Jack Straw MP, Foreign Secretary;
  • September 2005: Dr Phyllis Starkey MP;
  • April 2005: HRH The Duke of York;
  • January 2005: Geoff Hoon, Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence;
  • February 2004: Baroness Symons, Minister of State at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office.

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