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Sakhir Air Base is a large military airfield in Bahrain's Southern Governorate, built primarily to host the biennial Bahrain International Airshow. Its single very long runway and ILS approach make it an imposing but rarely used destination for simulator pilots exploring Gulf military aviation.
Sakhir Air Base is a military airfield near Zallaq in Bahrain's Southern Governorate, built specifically to host the Bahrain International Airshow, held every two years in November. The base draws military and display aircraft from a wide range of air forces, including Russia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and India, and is also used for VIP movements, visiting heads of state and flights carrying the King of Bahrain. For a simulator pilot, the appeal lies in its enormous single runway, ILS approach and the airshow atmosphere it can recreate, rather than any civilian traffic.
The airfield lies about 3 nautical miles south-southwest of Awali, in the Southern Governorate of Bahrain, close to Zallaq. As a military installation it sits within Bahrain's controlled airspace structure, and given its role hosting VIP and head-of-state flights as well as the biennial airshow, pilots should expect the surrounding airspace to be tightly managed, particularly around airshow dates.
Sakhir Air Base has a single physical runway, 17/35, of hard surface construction and lit for night operations. Runway 17 has a length of 10,506 feet, while runway 35, which is equipped with an ILS approach, measures 9,521 feet. The runway's great length reflects the base's use by large military and VIP aircraft as well as its role as an airshow venue.
An ILS is available for the approach to runway 35, supporting instrument arrivals in low visibility. No published communications frequencies for the airfield are recorded, so pilots should treat radio contact procedures as unconfirmed and plan accordingly.
No specific joining, circuit height or noise abatement procedures for Sakhir Air Base are available.
No published visual reference points for Sakhir Air Base are available, though its position roughly 3 nautical miles south-southwest of Awali offers a useful general reference for locating the field from the air.
Sakhir Air Base was constructed specifically to host the Bahrain International Airshow, a biennial event held every November that attracts military and display jets from numerous nations, including Russia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and India. Beyond the airshow, the base has served VIP purposes, hosting flights for foreign top government officials, visiting heads of state and the King of Bahrain. The next edition of the Bahrain International Airshow is scheduled to take place at the base on 18-20 November 2026.
Sakhir Air Base continues to operate as a military airfield and remains the venue for the Bahrain International Airshow, with the next event scheduled for 18-20 November 2026. It also continues to handle VIP and head-of-state traffic. As a military installation, prior permission would be required for any visiting flight, and no civilian facilities, fuel arrangements or public operating hours are documented.
