Bahrain a Major Non-NATO Ally to the US

Since 2002, Bahrain has been recognized by the United States as a Major Non-Nato Ally (MNNA), a status that underscores the strong ties of friendship and close strategic partnership between the two countries. MNNA status provides Bahrain access to a number of benefits reserved by the U.S. Government to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allied states, including potential participation in cooperative research and development, priority access to Excess Defense Articles (EDA), and cooperative training.