List of US Military Bases in Middle-East Countries: Check Name, Location and Country

With at least 128 military outposts outside its borders as of July 2024, the U.S. military maintains hundreds of sites both domestically and overseas. According to the U.S. Army, Camp Humphreys in South Korea is the largest overseas base in terms of area.

Since 2001, between 1.9 and three million US service members have served in Afghanistan and Iraq, with more than half of them having been deployed more than once, according to the Watson Institute at Brown University.

What is a Military Base?

A military base is a facility that is directly owned and run by the military or one of its components, housing military personnel and equipment, and facilitating operations and training. A military base can serve as a command center, training ground, or proving ground in addition to housing one or more units. Military bases typically depend on outside assistance to function. Nonetheless, some complex bases may survive for extended periods of time on their own because they can supply their residents with food, water, and other essentials during sieges. Air bases are bases for military aircraft. Naval bases serve as bases for military ships.

Largest US Military Base In Middle East

Al Udeid Air Base is the largest US military facility in the Middle East. The facility is situated west of Doha, Qatar. It was created in 1996 and is home to over 11,000 coalition and American service men. The complex, which is 24 hectares (60 acres) in size, can house around 100 aircraft and drones.

Country-wise List of US Military Bases in Middle East

Check the country-wise list of US Military Bases in the Middle East Countries along with the key highlights:

Bahrain

The Fifth Fleet of the U.S. Navy, which occupies the Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and portions of the Indian Ocean, has its headquarters in Bahrain.

Qatar

Located in the desert outside the capital Doha, the 24-hectare Al Udeid Air Base serves as the forward headquarters for US Central Command, which oversees U.S. military operations throughout a vast region that stretches from Kazakhstan in the east to Egypt in the west. About 10,000 troops are stationed at the largest U.S. outpost in the Middle East. 

Kuwait

The Ali Al Salem Air Base, often known as "The Rock" due to its remote and mountainous setting, and Camp Arifjan, the forward headquarters of U.S. Army Central, are two of the many expansive military sites. According to the U.S. Army website, Camp Buehring was created during the 2003 Iraq War and serves as a staging area for American Army units moving into Syria and Iraq.

United Arab Emirates

The U.S. Air Force Central Command states that the Al Dhafra Air Base, which is located south of the UAE capital Abu Dhabi and is shared with the UAE Air Force, is a vital U.S. Air Force hub that has been helpful in important missions against the Islamic State and surveillance deployments around the area.

Saudi Arabia

According to a White House letter, there were 2,321 American soldiers in Saudi Arabia in 2024. They work in tandem with the Saudi government, supporting the use of American military aircraft and offering air and missile defense capabilities.

Some are based at Prince Sultan Air Base, which serves U.S. Army air defense weapons such Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems and Patriot missile batteries, about 60 kilometers south of Riyadh.

Jordan

The U.S. Air Forces Central's 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, which conducts missions throughout the Levant, is based at the Muwaffaq al Salti Air Base in Azraq, 100 kilometers northeast of the capital Amman, according to a 2024 article in the Library of Congress.

Iraq

According to the White House, the United States continues to help Iraqi security forces and contribute to the NATO operation at Ain Al Asad Air Base in western Anbar province. In 2020, the base was the target of Iranian missile strikes in retaliation, which led to the U.S. killing Iranian General Qasem Soleimani.

U.S. and coalition forces use Erbil Air Base, located in northern Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region, as a base for training and combat simulations. According to the congressional report, the site helps U.S. military operations by offering a safe place for training, intelligence exchange, and logistical coordination in northern Iraq.

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U.S. Military Bases in the Middle East

Here is a list of major U.S. military bases located across the Middle East, along with their locations and host countries.