Bahrain’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa arrived in Japan on Thursday for an official visit aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and expanding co-operation in areas ranging from trade and energy to security and technology, the state-run Bahrain News Agency reported.
Prince Salman will stay in the country until Sunday, the Bahraini Foreign Minister said.
He met Japan's Crown Prince Fumihito at the Akasaka Imperial Residence in Tokyo on Friday and visited the Bahrain Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka on Thursday.
The visit comes as Manama seeks to diversify its economy and expand partnerships across Asia, while Tokyo aims for deeper co-operation on energy security, finance and maritime stability – crucial for its oil imports from the Gulf.
It is Prince Salman’s first trip to Japan since 2022, when he attended the state funeral of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Several memorandums of understanding are expected to be signed during the visit, his office said.
Gulf states have sought in recent years to diversify strategic partnerships beyond traditional western alliances and expand engagement with Asian economies.
Bahrain and Japan have steadily built their relationship over decades. King Hamad visited Japan in 2012 and 2017, meeting with the emperor and senior officials to sign agreements on trade, economy and defence. Prince Salman’s earlier visits, in 2008 and 2013, led to more than a dozen deals covering education, health and energy.
In September, the two countries held their first Bahrain–Japan Strategic Dialogue in Tokyo, where Foreign Ministers Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani and Takeshi Iwaya signed a joint statement to expand co-operation on security and other areas.
Bahrain exports aluminium, fibreglass, scrap metal and clothing to Japan, while importing Japanese cars, lorries, electronics and construction equipment. Japanese investment in the Gulf nation includes technology, renewable energy and technical training initiatives.
