King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa (C) arrives to welcome officials upon their arrival for the 37th on December 6, 2016 in the Bahraini capital Manama. British Prime Minister Theresa May was to join Gulf Arab leaders at a summit in Bahrain for talks on trade after Britain's exit from the European Union. / AFP PHOTO / STRINGERSTRINGER/AFP/Getty Images

King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa (R) welcomes Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz upon his arrival for the 37th on December 6, 2016 in the Bahraini capital Manama. British Prime Minister Theresa May was to join Gulf Arab leaders at a summit in Bahrain for talks on trade after Britain's exit from the European Union. / AFP PHOTO / STRINGERSTRINGER/AFP/Getty Images

King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa (R) welcomes the UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum (L) upon his arrival for the 37th on December 6, 2016 in the Bahraini capital Manama. British Prime Minister Theresa May was to join Gulf Arab leaders at a summit in Bahrain for talks on trade after Britain's exit from the European Union. / AFP PHOTO / STRINGERSTRINGER/AFP/Getty Images

Prime Minister Theresa May meets King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud of Saudi Arabia in Manama, Bahrain, where she is on a three day visit to attend the Gulf Cooperation Council summit. PA

King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa (R) welcomes the Oman's Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi (L) upon his arrival for the 37th on December 6, 2016 in the Bahraini capital Manama. British Prime Minister Theresa May was to join Gulf Arab leaders at a summit in Bahrain for talks on trade after Britain's exit from the European Union. / AFP PHOTO / STRINGERSTRINGER/AFP/Getty Images

Prime Minister Theresa May meets King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud of Saudi Arabia (left) in Manama, Bahrain, where she is on a three day visit to attend the Gulf Cooperation Council summit. PA

Theresa May is visiting Bahrain to meet with leaders of Gulf states, who are in the country for a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

She will attend a dinner with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman on Tuesday, before addressing the plenary session of the summit on Wednesday.

The Prime Minister will use the visit to announce a new working group with regional nations to combat the financing of terrorists. The UK will provide three specialist cyber experts to the Gulf states to help deal with extremism.

She will also unveil a new permanent British defence staff in Dubai to co-ordinate regional activities, and a dedicated military officer embedded with Bahrain's Ministry of Interior bomb disposal unit to provide management support and training.

Expand Close King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa (R) welcomes the Oman's Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi (L) upon his arrival for the 37th on December 6, 2016 in the Bahraini capital Manama. British Prime Minister Theresa May was to join Gulf Arab leaders at a summit in Bahrain for talks on trade after Britain's exit from the European Union. / AFP PHOTO / STRINGERSTRINGER/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa (R) welcomes the Oman's Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi (L) upon his arrival for the 37th on December 6, 2016 in the Bahraini capital Manama. British Prime Minister Theresa May was to join Gulf Arab leaders at a summit in Bahrain for talks on trade after Britain's exit from the European Union. / AFP PHOTO / STRINGERSTRINGER/AFP/Getty Images

One thing that unites the region’s countries are their terrible human rights records.

Bahrain

Police fired live ammunition into crowds during the Arab Spring protests



Authorities have shut down newspapers and TV stations that air criticism of the Government



Security services used torture in response to protests – with methods so extreme they resulted in deaths

Oman

Hereditary monarchy with no democratic institutions



Tight restrictions on protesting and freedom of assembly



Reporters of journalists and activists critical of government ‘disappearing’

Saudi Arabia

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Qatar

Provides clandestine financial and logistical support to Isis ( according to Hillary Clinton )



) Forced labour of migrant workers with hundreds of deaths reported on major projects



Flogging enforceable as a punishment under Sharia law for drinking alcohol or ‘illicit sexual relations’



Death penalty or prison sentences for gay people

United Arab Emirates

No democratically elected government



Has not signed international human rights and workers’ rights treaties



Death penalty or prison for gay people

Kuwait

Stateless minority groups lack citizenship rights



All citizens must provide DNA samples to government



Far-reaching restrictions on freedom of speech and criticism of the Government

Independent News Service