The escalating Iranian conflict and its impact on the Gulf states will be discussed by ministers, senior policymakers and military chiefs from around the world taking part in Bahrain’s premier security summit.
Leading decision makers are expected to attend the 22nd International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Regional Security Summit: The Manama Dialogue 2026, which will be held from October 30 to November 1 at The Ritz-Carlton Bahrain.
The annual summit provides a platform for experts, decision makers and governmental delegations to exchange views on regional security challenges.
This year’s summit is being held against the backdrop of the ongoing US-Iran conflict that has affected Bahrain and neighbouring Gulf states.
The conflict, which began when the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran at the end of February hoping to disable its missile programme and its regional proxies, has led to major disruption to energy supplies, fears over global inflation and a battle for control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz chokepoint.
Foreign Minister Dr Abdullatif Al Zayani, during a media briefing on the sidelines of an emergency meeting at the United Nations Security Council earlier this month, said that since February 28, Bahrain has been subjected to hundreds of missile and drone attacks targeting residential neighbourhoods and civilian infrastructure. The attacks have claimed three lives and injured hundreds of civilians, including women and children.
He said that Bahrain had been subjected to 808 attacks from 203 ballistic missiles and 605 drones, while 465 individuals were injured.
This is further reflected in the latest outline agenda for 2026 released by the think tank, which shows different plenary sessions held over the three days covering different aspects of the conflict.
The event kicks off on October 30 with bilateral meetings between ministers and officials, followed by a special session on ‘The Gulf at War Dossier Launch’, and then another talk, ‘Political and Security Lessons from the Iran War’.
This will be followed by an opening reception and a keynote address in the evening, according to the agenda.
The following day, world leaders and experts will take part in a number of plenary sessions on ‘US and Middle Eastern Security Integration’, ‘The Implications of Transformational Regional Conflict’, ‘The Foundations of Regional Security’ and the fourth plenary session on ‘Defence, Resilience and Deterrence: Pathways for Defence Doctrine’.
Invitation-only private lunches, including one by the Bahrain government and other panel discussions, will also be hosted on the day.
The last day starts with a ‘special address’, according to the agenda details, which are not yet announced, followed by three plenary sessions that will focus on ‘A New Economic Agenda: From Reconstruction and Development to Prosperity’, ‘Maritime Security at an Inflection Point’ and ‘Global Security Governance: Inclusion and Agency’.
“Widely known as the Middle East’s premier security summit, the IISS Manama Dialogue has been held annually in Bahrain since 2004,” said the IISS about the event on its website.
“It provides a crucial opportunity for national leaders, ministers and policymakers from the Middle East, North America, Europe, Africa and Asia to gather together to discuss the most pressing regional security issues and share policy responses.
“It features plenary debates led by government ministers and facilitates important bilateral discussions among delegations.”
Last year, the keynote speaker at the event was National Security Adviser and Royal Guard Commander Lieutenant General Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa who in his address spoke about the persistent challenges facing the Middle East that required shared commitment to ‘dialogue over division and co-operation over confrontation’.
Lt Gen Shaikh Nasser spoke alongside former US National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard, who later addressed the audience of world leaders, senior military chiefs and experts attending the annual summit. She spoke on how the US foreign policy has been trapped in a counterproductive and endless cycle of regime change or nation-building.
His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and Prime Minister, was the keynote speaker at the 2023 Manama Dialogue.
Some of the big names to have appeared as speakers at the summit previously are former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton, Jordan’s King Abdullah, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi and former British prime minister Boris Johnson in his capacity as foreign secretary in 2016.
sandy@gdnmedia.bh
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