Off the wire
• Defense ministry hosts reception for airshow delegations  • 20 killed in road accident in Brazil  • China sponsors vehicles for ASEAN Mayors Forum in Laos  • Estonian police confiscate 77 kg of hashish from Latvia  • China specifies efforts to improve government affairs transparency  • Coal price rise irrational, correction expected: official  • Taiwan's manufacturing sector weakens in September  • 1st LD-Writethru: Cabinet urges local authorities to implement reforms, growth policies  • 4.3-magnitude earthquake hits BiH  • 2nd LD-Writethru-China Focus: China maps out new geological data regime  
You are here: 　 Home

UK to open new "gift" military base in Bahrain

Xinhua, October 31, 2016 Adjust font size:

British Ministry of Defense (MOD) on Monday confirmed with Xinhua that the country's new military base mainly financed by Bahrain in the Gulf nation is going to be launched next month.

The overall construction of the new base, with a total investment of around 30 million pounds, is going to be wrapped up next year but it is expected to run operational in November as its major buildings will be opened up, an MOD spokesman told Xinhua.

He said that the two sides are still working through the use of the new military base. But British media have earlier reported that the military base, of which construction started one years ago, will be used to help fight extremists in the region and protect ships transporting oil and gas through the Strait of Hormuz.

The MOD spokesman said a maximum of 600 military personnel will be housed up in the base but normal operation personnel number will be around 250. He called the new base a "gift" from the Bahrain but confirmed that Britain will also pay for part of the facility.

The latest move is part of Britain's push to enhance its economic and military ties with the Middle East region where it was joining repeated air raids in Syria.

British Defense Minister Michael Fallon was quoted by media as saying when the construction of the base will enable Britain to send more and larger ships to reinforce stability in the Gulf region. Endit