The White House from Washington, DC
Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa has pledged more than $17 billion in new investments in the United States, as outlined by the White House ahead of his meeting with US President Donald Trump. The announcement signals a significant deepening of economic ties between the two nations, with both leaders emphasizing their strong alliance.
During the meeting at the White House, President Trump referred to Bahrain as a “fantastic ally” and said discussions would include trade and a wide range of economic topics. Crown Prince Salman confirmed that his government would soon announce a series of major investments in the US, building on a “legacy that we’re very proud of.”
A key component of the investment package includes a $7 billion agreement between Bahrain’s national airline, Gulf Air, and American aerospace giants Boeing and GE. The deal involves the purchase of 12 aircraft with an option for six additional jets. Additionally, it includes the sale of 40 General Electric engines, a transaction confirmed by the White House.
This latest announcement follows similar deals brokered during President Trump’s trip to the Middle East in May, during which he secured a $600 billion investment commitment from Saudi Arabia, including a $142 billion arms deal.
According to the White House, the Bahrain investment package is expected to support approximately 30,000 American jobs. The deal was facilitated with the assistance of President Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. The crown prince is also expected to commit billions more in additional capital across several sectors.
As part of the broader agreement, Bahrain is set to sign deals with tech giants Oracle and Cisco. The White House noted that Bahrain aims to phase out Chinese servers in favor of Cisco’s products. In addition to the aviation and tech deals, Bahrain plans to expand its investments in the US energy, technology, and manufacturing sectors.
Among these initiatives, the kingdom intends to invest in American liquefied natural gas (LNG) production to secure its energy needs, increase capital deployment to boost US aluminum production, and purchase advanced AI chips in collaboration with US-based hyperscale data firms.
The crown prince is expected to sign multiple agreements and memorandums of understanding (MOUs) during his visit, including one that outlines a framework for Bahrain to begin talks on developing civilian nuclear capabilities in cooperation with the United States.
The White House also announced that Bahrain’s King is scheduled to visit Washington later this year to finalize the various agreements and strengthen the two countries’ shared economic agenda.
Despite the substantial investment news, US stock markets remained relatively flat. As of 12:00pm ET (16:00 GMT), the S&P 500 had declined by 0.1 percent, the Nasdaq was down 0.09 percent, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped by 0.04 percent. Boeing shares, which had initially surged, were down 0.3 percent, while GE stock showed a modest gain of 0.1 percent.
The investment pledge comes as the Trump administration’s trade and tariff policies remain under scrutiny. Following a temporary suspension of country-specific tariffs in April, the administration announced a goal of securing 90 trade deals in 90 days. However, only three deals have been finalized so far, with Vietnam, the UK, and Indonesia.
In a press conference, Crown Prince Salman clarified that Bahrain would not be providing Patriot missile systems to Ukraine.
