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Bahrain and the UAE governments have shown ‘enormous restraint’ in the face of immense provocation from Iran, which fired hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones targeting its vital energy and other sectors, according to a senior British official.
The chair of the UK Abraham Accords Group, Dr Liam Fox, said the two Gulf countries that have been signatories to the Abraham Accords with Israel since 2020 have stood firmly against threats from Tehran.
“The governments of Bahrain and the UAE, have shown enormous restraint in recent weeks in the face of provocation from Iran,” he said.
“I think in general, including the whole Abraham Accords process, the rest of the world has not given sufficient recognition or thanks to the Bahraini, the UAE governments, and the Moroccan authorities, for their strategic commitment to the landmark agreement.”
Dr Fox was appointed by the ambassadors to the UK from Bahrain, UAE and Israel to take up the position of Chair of the UK Abraham Accords Group, which is a non-partisan and non-profit, UK-based organisation dedicated to supporting the implementation and expansion of the historic peace agreements known as the Abraham Accords which Bahrain and the UAE signed with Israel.
The organisation was launched in the British Parliament in September 2021, marking the first anniversary of the landmark agreement.
Dr Fox, who is in Bahrain following visits to other Gulf states, revealed for the first time that major investment plans for the kingdom are expected to be announced in the coming months. Responding to critics and some experts who claim that Bahrain and the UAE were targeted due to them being part of the Accords, which normalise relations with Israel, Dr Fox added that Gulf countries that were not signatories – such as Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia – were also targeted by Iran. “Iran lashed out at any of their geographical neighbours,” said Dr Fox.
He explained the agreement continues to build on different aspects, including economic interdependencies.
“Peace and security cannot be simply achieved by either financial or military instruments,” he said.
“It needs to be built by institutions and by links between countries, businesses, and people.”
Dr Fox, who served as the UK Secretary of State for International Trade, said, “Bahrain has not seen economically as much benefit from the Abraham Accords as some of the other nations, but its potential is enormous.”
“If we look at the forward-looking nature of the government policy and the financial services here, there is a huge potential for Bahrain to emerge as a regional services centre of excellence.
“We will be making announcements within the next couple of months that will demonstrate significant foreign direct investment, reflecting our vote of confidence in Bahrain and its government,” he added. Other nations who have signed the Abraham Accords are Morocco, Sudan, and Kazakhstan.
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