Hegseth's meeting comes a day after President Donald Trump hosted Bahrain's crown prince and Qatar's prime minister at the White House. The meetings focused on strengthening diplomatic and economic ties with the Persian Gulf region.

Bahrain's crown prince announced $17 billion in U.S. investments, including buying a dozen Boeing jets and 40 GE engines.

Bahrain’s crown prince is set to invest more than $17bn in the United States. The White House outlined the new deal before a meeting between Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa and US President Donald Trump.

Bahrain carrier signs preliminary agreement for widebody jets, with options for six more, one day after country's crown prince met with US president

The moves by Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates mark a significant shift in regional air traffic and security policies. Kuwait announced on Monday it has closed its airspace until further notice due to rising tensions in the region.

In 2025, the UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain each offer unique advantages for expats. The UAE shines for business and tax benefits, Qatar stands out for safety and family life, while Bahrain offers affordability and a relaxed pace.

Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) issued Qatar a sweeping list of ultimatums last week that included a demand to close a Turkish military base inside Qatar.

Airlines were on fresh alert late on Monday after Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait closed their countries’ airspace temporarily as Iran attacked the Al Udeid U.S. military base in Doha, the latest upheaval to air travel in the Middle East.

Bahrain, with a population of 1.6 million, has reported more than 37,000 cases and 130 deaths. Strikingly, the fatality rate in the two countries remains low, with Qatar at 0.15% and Bahrain at 0.34%.

Amidst renewed Middle East peace doubts and escalating violence in Syria, President Trump welcomed Bahrain's Crown Prince and Qatar's Prime Minister t