Bahrain–Saudi Arabia relations

Bahrain–Saudi Arabia relations

Bahrain	Saudi Arabia

Bahrain–Saudi Arabia relations are the relations between Bahrain and the Saudi Arabia.

Today

Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa I with the Saudi king Ibn Saud. Photo taken prior to 1953.

Both are Sunni monarchies with both a Sunni and Shiite population, and both are members of the Gulf Cooperation Council. This became particularly important during the Arab Spring, when long-serving strongmen were toppled across the Middle East, and the Bahraini uprising seemed to threaten to do the same to the Bahraini monarchy. Citing fears of Iranian influence, and its rights under the charter of the GCC, Bahrain's monarchy invited Saudi forces in to suppress the rebellion.^[1][2] This was the first case of the GCC agreement on defense being used internally. Saudi Arabia was also concerned to prevent spread of discontent inside its territories.^[3]

References

1. Hawley, Caroline. "Gulf states send forces to Bahrain following protests." BBC News. 14 March 2011. Accessed 15 January 2012. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12729786
2. Chick, Kristine. "Saudi troops arrive in Bahrain as protests escalate." The Christian Science Monitor. 14 March 2011. Accessed 15 January 2012. http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2011/0314/Saudi-troops-arrive-in-Bahrain-as-protests-escalate
3. Quamar, Md. Muddassir. "Managing the Arab Spring: The Saudi Way." Contemporary Review of the Middle East. June 2014. Accessed 20 June 2015. http://cme.sagepub.com/content/1/2.toc