Bahrain’s Premier pledges $17B in investments at Trump meeting

If there were any doubts about Bahrain’s commitment to pouring $17 billion into the U.S. economy, Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa insisted at the White House that “these aren’t fake deals.”

Meeting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Wednesday before joining him for a private lunch, Prince Salman, who serves as Bahrain’s Prime Minister, hailed the relationship between the two countries, which includes Bahrain hosting the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and the U.S. Fifth Fleet.

In response, Trump said he appreciated the investment and admired Bahrain’s ability to pay for it. “You don’t have to borrow the money,” he said.

Nevertheless, the President recalled his swing through the Middle East in May when he was showered with investment pledges from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE that dwarfed what Bahrain plans to spend.

All told, Trump said he came out of the trip with $5.1 trillion in deals, more than twice what was previously announced.

While Prince Salman didn’t spell out Bahrain’s shopping list in defense deals or corporate transactions, Bahraini financial institutions and corporate firms announced plans to invest $10.7 billion in the U.S. That included a $2 billion agreement between Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund, Mumtalakat, and a consortium of American companies in aluminum-related industries.

In addition, Bahrain’s flag carrier Gulf Air is reportedly weighing an order for up to 20 additional Boeing aircraft to modernize its fleet, according to Bloomberg.

Along with the Bahrain visit, Trump hosted a private dinner on Wednesday with Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, which focused on the Gulf state’s effort to mediate hostage negotiations between Israel and Hamas.