Trump Administration Designates UAE and Bahrain as ‘Major Security Partners’

(L-R) Bahrain Foreign Minister Abdullatif al-Zayani, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Donald Trump, and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan pose from from the Truman Balcony at the White House before they participate in the signing of the Abraham Accords where the countries of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates recognize Israel, in Washington, on Sept. 15, 2020. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

The White House late Friday designated the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bahrain as “major security partners” of the United States.

“The designation as a ‘Major Security Partner’ is a status unique to the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bahrain,” press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a statement. “It recognizes our exceptional security partnership—exemplified by their hosting thousands of United States Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines—and the commitment of each country to countering violent extremism across the region.