Bahrain’s Crown Prince Praises UK Roadmap

Bahrain’s crown prince hailed Sir Keir Starmer’s garden speech “a very ambitious roadmap for the future”, when the pair met to discuss investment and defense in Downing Street.

Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa met the Prime Minister at Number 10, hours after Sir Keir claimed to have inherited “not just an economic black hole but a societal black hole” from the Conservatives.

“Having come into this office myself a while ago, a few years ago, I do remember looking at what was inherited and then seeing what I could do to improve it,” the crown prince said, after having taken office as Bahrain’s prime minister in 2020.

He added: “Thank you for taking the time to receive myself and my delegation.”

“I’d like to congratulate you on your speech today, laying out a very ambitious roadmap for the future.”

Sir Keir said: “Obviously, there’s a long and very important history between our countries that we’re very proud of and very keen to build on, whether that’s investment, defense, people-to-people.”

He added: “I think being clear about the inheritance is really important, and then clearing it away.”

UK Maritime Trade Operations has logged several incidents in the Red Sea this summer, including suspicious approaches and attacks on vessels involving explosions or projectiles in the inlet, which connects Indian Ocean and Mediterranean shipping routes via the Suez Canal.

Houthi rebels are understood to have targeted shipping through the corridor over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

Sir Keir has spoken with several leaders from the Middle East in recent weeks, including the Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said of Oman who he hosted in Downing Street earlier this month.

The pair spoke about conflict in neighboring Yemen and the country’s 19-year economic and social action plan between 2021 and 2040.