The American Mission Hospital, affiliated with the National Evangelical Church, has operated continuously in Bahrain for more than a century. Bahrain has also been a base for U.S. naval activity in the Gulf since 1947. When Bahrain became independent, the U.S.-Bahrain relationship was formalized with the establishment of diplomatic relations. The U.S. embassy at Manama was opened September 21, 1971, and a resident ambassador was sent in 1974. The Bahraini embassy in Washington, DC, opened in 1977. In October 1991, Amir Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa made a state visit to Washington. In 2001, Amir Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa made his first visit to the U.S. after succeeding his father in 1999. He returned to Washington on an official visit in January 2003.

Bahrain and the United States signed a Defense Cooperation Agreement in October 1991 granting U.S. forces access to Bahraini facilities and ensuring the right to pre-position material for future crises. Currently the headquarters of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, the U.S. designated Bahrain a Major Non-NATO Ally in October 2001.

U.S.-Bahraini economic ties have grown steadily since 1932, when Americans participated in the development of Bahrain's oil industry. Bahrain is a regional base for numerous American banks and firms. Formal negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA) are due to begin in early 2004.

The U.S. Embassy in Bahrain is located off Sheikh Isa Highway, at Building 979, Road 3119, Block 321, Zinj, Manama, Bahrain. The mailing address is P.O. Box 26431, Manama, Bahrain; tel: [973] 242-700; fax: [973] 272-594. The embassy's hours of operation outside of Ramadan are 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Saturdays-Wednesdays.