The U.S. military maintains hundreds of locations both domestically and abroad (as of July 2024, there were at least 128 military bases outside of its borders). The U.S. Army claims that, in terms of area, Camp Humphreys in South Korea is the biggest foreign base.
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.
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.
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.
Check the country-wise list of US Military Bases in the Middle East Countries along with the key highlights:
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.
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. 
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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Here is a list of major U.S. military bases located across the Middle East, along with their locations and host countries.
|
Base Name |
Location |
Country |
|
U.S. Navy Fifth Fleet HQ |
Manama |
Bahrain |
|
Al Udeid Air Base |
Desert outside Doha |
Qatar |
|
Camp Arifjan |
Near Kuwait City |
Kuwait |
|
Ali Al Salem Air Base |
~40 km from the Iraqi border |
Kuwait |
|
Camp Buehring |
Near Iraq-Kuwait border |
Kuwait |
|
Al Dhafra Air Base |
South of Abu Dhabi |
United Arab Emirates |
|
Jebel Ali Port (not a formal base) |
Dubai |
United Arab Emirates |
|
Ain Al Asad Air Base |
Anbar province (Western Iraq) |
Iraq |
|
Erbil Air Base |
Kurdistan Region (Northern Iraq) |
Iraq |
|
Prince Sultan Air Base |
~60 km south of Riyadh |
Saudi Arabia |
|
Muwaffaq al Salti Air Base |
Azraq, ~100 km northeast of Amman |
Jordan |
Base Name
Location
Country
U.S. Navy Fifth Fleet HQ
Manama
Bahrain
Al Udeid Air Base
Desert outside Doha
Qatar
Camp Arifjan
Near Kuwait City
Kuwait
Ali Al Salem Air Base
~40 km from the Iraqi border
Kuwait
Camp Buehring
Near Iraq-Kuwait border
Kuwait
Al Dhafra Air Base
South of Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Jebel Ali Port (not a formal base)
Dubai
United Arab Emirates
Ain Al Asad Air Base
Anbar province (Western Iraq)
Iraq
Erbil Air Base
Kurdistan Region (Northern Iraq)
Iraq
Prince Sultan Air Base
~60 km south of Riyadh
Saudi Arabia
Muwaffaq al Salti Air Base
Azraq, ~100 km northeast of Amman
Jordan
Content Writer
Vidhee Tripathi completed her PG Diploma degree in Digital Media from Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi. She is a graduate in Science with chemistry honors from Banaras Hindu University. She has 2 years of experience in various aspects of journalism. She was previously associated with the social media wing of Akashvani. At jagranjosh.com, she covers current affairs including trending articles, world news etc. She also works with the education news section of Jagran Josh.
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