Qatar Airways announced on Wednesday a landmark agreement to purchase up to 210 Boeing jets, marking one of the largest aircraft orders in history. The deal was revealed during President Donald Trump’s four-day visit to the Arabian Peninsula, where he highlighted the significance of the arrangement. “It’s the largest order of jets in the history of Boeing,” Trump stated, though he inflated the deal’s value to $200 billion, which the White House later clarified was actually $96 billion.
GE Aerospace, known for manufacturing engines for Boeing’s aircraft, is also a key player in this agreement. In addition to the aviation deal, the United States and Qatar signed a defense cooperation statement, reinforcing their military partnership. This includes a $1 billion agreement with Raytheon for counter-drone capabilities and a nearly $2 billion deal with General Atomics concerning remotely piloted aircraft systems. The initiative also encompasses $38 billion in potential investments aimed at enhancing support at Al Udeid Air Base, which hosts U.S., Qatari, and British air forces.
In total, the White House reports that the agreements between the U.S. and Qatar amount to over $243 billion. The Trump administration claimed that these deals would facilitate an “economic exchange” expected to reach $1.2 trillion, although the methodology used to arrive at that figure remains ambiguous.
Before the official announcement, various outlets including Bloomberg News reported on the upcoming Boeing deal. During the signing ceremony, Trump and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, the Emir of Qatar, looked on as their respective defense ministers and CEOs from Boeing and Qatar Airways formalized the agreements. Sheikh al-Thani remarked, “After signing these documents, we are going to another level of relationship,” underscoring the importance of this partnership.
Trump received a warm welcome upon arriving in Doha, where a literal red carpet was rolled out for him. Accompanied by men in traditional attire on horseback and camels, the president engaged with the enthusiastic crowd. “We have the best equipment anywhere in the world,” he noted, affirming the scale of Qatar’s purchases.
However, the recently signed deals do not encompass a contentious proposal for Qatar to gift a $400 million luxury jet, as a potential replacement for Air Force One. Despite Trump’s criticism of the aging aircraft compared to Saudi jets, this gift has raised ethical questions, and officials from Qatar indicate it is still under review.
This latest Boeing agreement follows a series of deals announced during Trump’s earlier stop in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The White House claimed that $600 billion in agreements had been secured with Saudi businesses, though many of the arrangements were previously in development. The U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum brought together 145 deals amounting to over $300 billion, much lower than the figures touted by the White House.
The most substantial deal in Saudi Arabia involved nearly $142 billion for U.S. defense firms supplying advanced military equipment and services. Additionally, commitments like DataVolt’s $20 billion investment in artificial intelligence data centers and infrastructure were touted, along with $2 billion related to ongoing U.S. work on Saudi projects, including King Salman International Airport and Qiddiya City, a large-scale entertainment development.
As these agreements unfold, they not only signify deepening ties between the United States and Gulf nations but also highlight the complex interplay of economics and defense in U.S. foreign policy.
Original Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/14/us/politics/qatar-airways-boeing-jets.html
Category : United States Politics and Government,Boeing Company,Qatar Airways,United States Defense and Military Forces,United States International Relations,Air Force One (Jet),Thani, Tamim bin Hamad al-,Trump, Donald J
Tags:
Publish Date: 2025-05-14 22:08:00
