Screengrab from animated video showing US military bases in the Middle East. AFP
Washington operates military facilities at at least 19 locations across the Middle East, with its largest concentrations in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.
Key Gulf hubs
Qatar – Al Udeid Air Base
Al Udeid, southwest of Doha, is the largest US military installation in the region, housing around 10,000 personnel. It serves as a central hub for US air operations and command functions. The United States extended its presence at the base for another 10 years in 2024.
Bahrain – Naval Support Activity Bahrain
In Juffair, Manama, Naval Support Activity Bahrain hosts the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, which oversees maritime operations across the Gulf, the Red Sea, and the Arabian Sea. The installation has a Defense Department population of about 9,000, including military personnel and civilians.
Kuwait – Camp Arifjan, Ali Al Salem Air Base, Camp Buehring
Kuwait hosts major US Army and Air Force facilities that serve as logistics and transit hubs for regional operations. Approximately 13,500 US personnel are based in the country.
United Arab Emirates – Al Dhafra Air Base; Jebel Ali port
Al Dhafra Air Base, near Abu Dhabi, supports US air missions, including reconnaissance and other regional operations. Jebel Ali Port in Dubai is the US Navy’s largest port of call in the Middle East and regularly hosts American warships.
Saudi Arabia – Prince Sultan Air Base
Prince Sultan Air Base, south of Riyadh, is a key US operational site. More than 2,300 personnel operate from the base, supporting air and defensive missions.
Naval and carrier deployments
Beyond land bases, the United States has strengthened its naval presence in regional waters.
At least 16 US warships have been operating in and around the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea during the recent buildup.
The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln entered the US Central Command region in late January. A second carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford, was subsequently deployed to the Middle East.
More than a dozen US warships have been positioned around the Strait of Hormuz and the Arabian Sea, marking one of the largest US military buildups in the region since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
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