Relationship dossier
Bahrain
Canada
Relationship assessment
Practical bilateral arrangements coexist with Canadian concerns over human rights in Bahrain.
Bahrain toward Canada
+15Bahrain has participated in bilateral investment and air-transport arrangements with Canada, providing a basis for practical economic and aviation cooperation.
Canada toward Bahrain
+15Canada has participated in bilateral investment and air-transport arrangements with Bahrain and has raised concerns about human rights in Bahrain.
Overall relationship
+15The relationship has practical foundations in investment and aviation, but is not free of political friction: Canadian criticism of Bahrain’s human-rights record has at times strained ties.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Bahrain and Canada have maintained bilateral ties supported by investment and air-transport arrangements. Canada has also raised human-rights concerns about Bahrain, creating some friction alongside practical cooperation. The scope and implementation of the bilateral arrangements are not fully clear.
Areas of tension
- Canadian criticism of Bahrain’s human-rights record.
Key developments
Bahrain and Canada signed a foreign investment promotion and protection agreement.
Bahrain and Canada concluded a bilateral air-transport agreement.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of the bilateral investment and air-transport arrangements are unclear.
- The extent of recent government-to-government cooperation is uncertain.