British colonial rule still is alive in the Gulf today

"The move is part of a modest expansion of British military readiness in the region. In 2013 the Royal Air Force established an air transport and refuelling hub in the United Arab Emirates. Home to the United States' Fifth Fleet, Bahrain is a strategic bulwark for Western interest in the energy-rich Gulf." "The case shows how alive the history of British colonial rule still is in the Gulf today," she added. Britain first signed a treaty with the Sunni Muslim Al Khalifa family in Bahrain in 1820 and their relationship has remained strong for decades after the end of its protectorate."