The US and Qatar on Wednesday signed $1.2 trillion in economic commitments, including $96 billion for Doha to buy up to 210 Boeing planes in the company’s largest-ever widebody order and largest-ever 787 order, the White House said.

“That’s fantastic. So that’s a record,” US President Donald Trump said, adding: “It’s the largest order of jets in the history of Boeing. That’s pretty good.”
His comments followed a deal signing ceremony that included defense agreements including on defense cooperation and the purchase by Qatar of American MQ-9B drones, after about two hours of talks with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

Other deals included Quantinuum finalizing a Joint Venture Agreement with Qatar’s Al Rabban Capital to invest up to $1 billion in state-of-the-art quantum technologies and workforce development in the US.

The US agreed to sell $1 billion worth of counter-drone capabilities to Qatar, making Doha the first international customer for Raytheon’s Fixed Site – Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aerial System Integrated Defeat System (FS-LIDS), according to the White House.

General Atomics also agreed to a nearly $2 billion deal to allow Qatar to purchase MQ-9B remotely piloted aircraft systems.

Washington and Doha also signed a statement of intent to strengthen the bilateral relationship, outlining over $38 billion in potential investments, including “support for burden-sharing at Al Udeid Air Base and future defense capabilities related to air defense and maritime security.”

His Qatar visit is the second destination of his Gulf tour, after a first stop in Riyadh, where he made a surprise announcement lifting sanctions on Syria and met the country’s president.

Relations between Washington and Doha have been in the spotlight over Qatar’s offer to Trump of a $400 million luxury aircraft to serve as a new Air Force One and then pass into his personal use.

Trump’s presidential motorcade made its way from the airport to central Doha led by two Tesla cybertruck cars, customized in the distinctive red of Qatar’s internal security forces

Elon Musk, the Tesla CEO and world’s richest man, was a key campaign contributor for Trump’s 2024 re-election for a second term and has played a prominent early role in this Trump administration.

With AFP