UK signed agreement with Bahrain for establishing Naval base at Mina Salman Port

The United Kingdom (UK) on December 6, 2014 signed an agreement with Bahrain to establish a permanent naval base at Mina Salman Port in Bahrain.

The agreement was signed between the Foreign Secretary of UK's Philip Hammond and Foreign Minister of Bahrain Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa in Manama, the capital city of Bahrain.

Some details about the Naval Base

It is the first permanent base in the Middle East for the UK since it formally withdrew from the region in 1971

The new Naval base will be built by Bahrain at an estimated cost of 15 million pounds with the British underwriting the ongoing costs. It is going to be completed in 2015 only

The new base will reinforce and provide the Royal Navy with a forward operating base and a place to plan, store equipment for naval operations and accommodate Royal Navy personnel

The new base is a permanent expansion of the Royal Navy's footprint and will enable Britain to send more and larger ships to strengthen stability in the Gulf

It should be noted that Four British mine-hunter warships are currently based at the Mina Salman Port, where the UK currently uses US facilities. Bahrain also already hosts the US Navy's 5th Fleet, which is accountable for operations around the Arabian Peninsula as well as parts of the Indian Ocean.