Bahrain prime minister leaves country for ‘private visit’

The prime minister of the Gulf state of Bahrain, Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, boards a plane for a private visit outside the kingdom.

The king of Bahrain’s media adviser announced the trip on Twitter.

غادر صاحب السمو الملكي الامير خليفة بن سلمان خليفة رئيس الوزراء حفظه الله ورعاه أرض الوطن الى الخارج في زيارة خاصة .#البحرين #رئيس_الوزراء https://t.co/r6jjoOA00Z

— NABEEL ALHAMER (@nalhamer) August 15, 2020

Khalifa, who has served as Bahrain’s prime minister since its independence in 1971 and is in his 80s, received medical care in Germany in March for an unspecified ailment.

Israel and the United Arab Emirates, also in the Gulf, announced a historic normalization agreement on Thursday.

Prime Minister Netanyahu, US President Trump and his son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner, who helped broker the deal, all predicted the accord would pave the way for more agreements between Israel and Arab states.

Israeli officials told Hebrew media that they were in advanced talks with Bahrain on a normalization agreement, saying it was likely next in line for ties with the Jewish state.

Oman and Morocco are also considered countries that could follow the UAE’s lead.