US President Trump In Historic Visit To Qatar
United States President Donald Trump arrived in Doha, Qatar, on Wednesday, marking the second stop on his Middle East tour, and the first time a sitting American President will visit the Gulf country.
The visit was punctuated by a lavish reception and the announcement of a sweeping $200billion agreement between Qatar and American aviation giant Boeing.
At the heart of the visit was the signing of a major aviation deal under which Qatar Airways will purchase 160 jets from Boeing. The agreement was formalised in Doha during a high-level meeting between President Trump and Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.
“So it’s over $200 billion, but 160 in terms of the jets, that’s fantastic,” President Trump declared. Turning to Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, also present at the signing, Trump added, “So that’s a record, Kelly, then congratulations to Boeing.”
The deal came at a critical juncture for Boeing, which has been reeling from a series of setbacks. A near-catastrophic incident earlier this year when a door plug blew off an Alaska Airlines 737 Max, leaving a gaping hole in the aircraft stalled new orders and shook consumer confidence. Despite a late-year recovery, Boeing ended 2024 with just 569 gross orders, a 60% drop from the previous year. Deliveries also suffered, falling by 34% to 348 planes, worsened by a strike involving 33,000 machinists that disrupted production until December.
Trump’s administration appears keen on leveraging aviation deals as part of its broader trade strategy. “As part of a larger agreement on a trade framework,” said US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick last week, “a British airline has agreed to purchase $10 billion worth of Boeing jets.” Reports later identified the buyer as IAG, with plans to order 30 Boeing 787 widebody aircraft.
Boeing’s stock rose 1.7% on Wednesday following the Qatar announcement. Still, analysts remain cautious, noting that such large-scale order commitments are not always binding and can be canceled.
Adding a layer of controversy to the visit, Trump had earlier remarked that he intended to accept a plane gift from Qatar for use as Air Force One, a comment that has stirred legal, ethical, and security concerns in Washington.
Beyond aviation, the two nations deepened their defense ties. US.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a series of bilateral agreements, including a statement of intent on defense cooperation and acceptance letters for the acquisition of MQ-9B drones and FS-LIDS systems.
Trump also signed a joint declaration of cooperation with Qatar, signalling a fortified partnership between the Gulf state and the US.
