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The United Kingdom has officially become the third member of a security framework with the United States and Bahrain to help create long-term stability in the Middle East.
The UK government is now part of the US-Bahrain Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement (C-SIPA).
The agreement builds on the strong security relationship between the US and Bahrain, which dates back several years.
According to the British government, C-SIPA facilitates defence and security cooperation between the Parties, aiming to enhance regional security integration and prosperity by bolstering mutual deterrence.
The agreement also includes commitments to cooperation on economic, trade, and investment matters—such as investment opportunities and supply chain diligence—as well as science, innovation, and technology development.
The original agreement was signed in September last year. The US State Department stated that it aimed to improve cooperation in areas such as defence, security, emerging technology, trade, and investment.
The Rt Hon. Lord Goldsmith KC, Chair of the House of Lords International Agreements Committee, said: “We welcome the UK’s accession to the Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement.
“UK accession to C-SIPA supplements other commitments the UK has to Bahrain, mostly contained in a 2012 defence cooperation partnership that has been renewed every five years.
“We note the overlap between C-SIPA and previous arrangements, and we welcome the institutionalisation of the UK’s approach to defence cooperation with Bahrain and commitments to the region within a publicly available and legally binding framework.”
Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohamed Al Khalifa, Bahrain’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom, hailed the Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement (C-SIPA) as a landmark milestone for Bahrain, the region, and its key allies during remarks at the 20th IISS Manama Dialogue.
Speaking to Bahrain News Agency in December, he said: “This agreement is historic and important, not only for the Kingdom of Bahrain but also for the United States, the UK, and the region as a whole.”
The Ambassador highlighted the multi-faceted nature of the agreement and added: “This is not only a security or defence agreement but also an economic and investment treaty. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a key component of the agreement, reflecting a forward-looking vision for technology-driven collaboration.”
C-SIPA was first signed in September 2023 in Washington as a cooperation framework between the US and Bahrain.
The agreement was relatively short on specifics but mandated regular meetings and consultations on defence; deeper military, economic, and technological ties; and an emphasis on deterring external aggression, according to a State Department fact sheet. The agreement “supports the goals of, but is distinct from,” other security cooperation agreements like the Abraham Accords, the governments said.
The UK’s new participation is “a major step forward in fostering broader regional security integration, bolstering mutual deterrence against external threats, and expanding cooperation in the fields of commerce, science, and technology with like-minded states in support of peace and prosperity in the Middle East,” the State Department said.
Bahrain-based strategic expert and political researcher Abdullah Al Junaid noted that the agreement appears to build on the UK’s significant security investments in Bahrain.
Britain has maintained a permanent naval presence there since 2016, and Bahrain serves as the headquarters of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s Combined Maritime Forces, of which the UK is one of 46 members, he said.
“The agreement will definitely represent a new security framework, and it could aid in fostering a wider or even serve as a regional model,” Al Junaid added.
