Trump’s Bahrain Pact: $17 Billion Investment In U.S., 30,000 Jobs, Nuclear Energy – And China Out | World News
Washington D.C.: U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday (July 16) hosted Bahrain’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa at the White House, where the Gulf leader formally announced more than $17 billion in planned investments into the United States, covering aviation, energy, technology and nuclear energy cooperation.
The announcement marked a major economic and diplomatic development in the administration’s ongoing push to strengthen partnerships across the Gulf region and reduce American reliance on Chinese technology and energy vulnerabilities.
According to a White House official cited by Reuters, a significant portion of the $17 billion deal includes an agreement between Bahrain’s Gulf Air and U.S. aviation giants Boeing and GE, valued at approximately $7 billion. The deal includes the purchase of 12 aircraft with an option for six more and the acquisition of 40 GE engines.
“This deal will support 30,000 American jobs,” the official said, emphasising that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick played a key role in helping finalise the arrangement.
The Crown Prince’s office released a statement on Tuesday (July 15) after he met U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, stating, “His Royal Highness highlighted the crucial role of the United States Trade Zone in the Kingdom of Bahrain, outlining its contribution to encouraging a dynamic economic environment, strengthening Bahrain-U.S. trade relations, creating greater investment opportunities and partnerships and advancing economic integration.”
Bahrain also intends to expand its investment footprint in American energy, manufacturing and technology, including replacing Chinese server infrastructure with systems built by U.S. firms Oracle and Cisco, according to the same White House official.
As part of the broader package, the Kingdom is set to invest in U.S. domestic aluminum production, liquefied natural gas (LNG) development and artificial intelligence chips, partnering with U.S.-based hyperscalers to boost America’s tech capacity. These investments, the official said, align with U.S. strategic efforts to secure domestic supply chains and drive innovation across key sectors.
The visit also included a major civilian nuclear energy agreement, signed earlier in the day by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani at the State Department. This agreement establishes the foundation for a formal “123 Agreement”, allowing U.S. companies to collaborate on nuclear infrastructure in Bahrain for peaceful energy purposes.
“The United States is prepared to be a partner with any nation on earth that wants to pursue a civil nuclear programme that clearly is not geared towards weapons or threatening the security of their neighbors,” Rubio told reporters after the signing.
The Crown Prince is expected to return later this year alongside King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to finalise the commercial nuclear cooperation and other investment agreements initiated during this visit, the official added.
The flurry of announcements on Wednesday comes just weeks after Trump’s May tour of the Middle East, where he announced a $600 billion investment commitment from Saudi Arabia, a $243.5 billion deal with Qatar and a $1.4 trillion pledge from the UAE.
Wednesday’s schedule also included a private dinner with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, where the two leaders were expected to discuss ongoing ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
Talks are currently underway in Doha, and Trump has previously stated that Israel agreed to a 60-day truce, though Hamas officials insisted that more discussions were needed before moving forward.
The Bahrain visit unfolded amid broader regional and domestic developments, including reports of Israeli airstrikes in Damascus, clashes in Sweida and heightened U.S. activity on energy security and inflation control.
Trump, who has faced criticism from his own political base over issues ranging from immigration enforcement to the Justice Department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, framed the Bahrain agreement as part of a larger effort to reindustrialise the American economy.
In recent remarks, he said the goal is to quadruple the U.S.’s domestic nuclear power output within 25 years, supported by new investment, deregulation and private sector partnerships.
Bahrain’s multifaceted investment plan also positions the kingdom as a strategic Gulf partner at a time when the Trump administration is intensifying efforts to counter China’s influence in critical industries, from semiconductors to rare earths.
The White House has emphasised that these economic agreements are intended to strengthen bilateral ties, create long-term jobs in the United States and advance energy independence across both regions.
A U.S. official told Reuters, “This is not merely a transactional deal. It is part of a long-term vision to bind economic security with strategic alignment. Bahrain is showing that it wants to be a long-term investor in America’s future.”
