DOHA: US President Donald Trump and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani agreed deals in Doha on Wednesday that the White House said were worth $1.2 trillion, including a massive order from Qatar Airways to buy Boeing aircraft.
Qatar Airways will buy up to 210 Boeing 777X and 787 widebody jets for $96 billion in a coup for both Trump and the planemaker.
Trump said he and Sheikh Tamim also discussed Iran, the Russia-Ukraine war, strengthening ties in defense, investment, energy, education and cybersecurity. They also touched on preparations for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and the 2028 Olympics, which will be hosted in the US.
The two leaders also witnessed the signing of a joint declaration of cooperation between the two governments, and letters of offer and acceptance for MQ-9B drones and the FS-LIDS anti-drone system, Qatar News Agency reported.
President Trump thanked the emir for Qatar’s warm hospitality and described Sheikh Tamim as a longtime friend and trusted partner. “We always had a very special relationship,” he said of the emir.
Senior Qatari ministers and US cabinet officials, including the secretaries of state, defense, treasury, commerce and energy, also attended the talks and signing ceremony.
Talks with Iran
Trump also urged Qatar to use its influence over Iran to persuade the country’s leadership to reach an agreement with the US to dial back its rapidly advancing nuclear program.
Qatar over the years has played the role of intermediary between the US and Iran and its proxies, including during talks with Tehran-backed Hamas as its 19-month war with Israel grinds on.
“I hope you can help me with the Iran situation,” Trump said during remarks at the state dinner. “It’s a perilous situation, and we want to do the right thing.”
Trump wants Iran to stop backing militant proxy groups.
Earlier, before he left Saudi Arabia for Qatar, Trump said he wanted to reach an agreement with Iran on its nuclear program, but Tehran must end its support for proxy militias throughout the Middle East.
Iran “must stop sponsoring terror, halt its bloody proxy wars, and permanently and verifiably cease pursuit of nuclear weapons,” Trump told Gulf leaders at a GCC summit in Riyadh. “They cannot have a nuclear weapon.”
The president’s demand for Iran to cease support of Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen comes as Tehran’s proxy network faces significant setbacks.
Hezbollah is severely weakened after a war with Israel in which many of its leaders were killed, and it lost a key ally with the fall of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad, a conduit for Iran to send arms.
Terror-free future
Trump said the moment was ripe “for a future free from the grip of Hezbollah terrorists.”
In Gaza, Hamas has been militarily decimated by an Israeli offensive since October 2023.
Only the Houthis in Yemen have emerged relatively unscathed from an American bombing campaign that ended last week with a unilateral US ceasefire.
The US and Iran have had four rounds of nuclear talks since last month.
Saudi Arabia fully supported the talks and hoped for positive results, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Wednesday.
Earlier, the leaders of the US and Syria met face-to-face for the first time in 25 years.
Ahmad Al-Sharaa, interim president of the Syrian Arab Republic, flew to Riyadh a day after Trump said he would lift sanctions on the Syrian economy after discussions with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman.
The crown prince joined Trump and Al-Sharaa for the meeting. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan took part via video conference.
Syria’s Foreign Ministry hailed the meeting as “historic,” and said the two leaders had discussed “avenues for Syrian-American partnership in counterterrorism efforts” and the importance of supporting reconstruction.
There was elation on the streets of Damascus and other cities, with cheering, dancing and celebratory gunfire as Syrians rejoiced in their relief from US sanctions.
“These sanctions were imposed on Assad, but ... now that Syria has been liberated, there will be a positive impact on industry, it’ll boost the economy and encourage people to return,” said Aleppo soap factory owner Zain Al-Jabali, 54.
US President Donald Trump, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg at the Royal Palace in Doha on Wednesday. (AFP)
Big win for Trump and Boeing
The Qatar Airways deal for Boeing 777X and 787 planes with GE Aerospace engines is a win for Trump on a high-profile visit to the region, even though it will be years before the jets are delivered.
The sale is also a boost for Boeing and its biggest engine supplier at a time when large versions of rival Airbus’ A350, powered by Rolls-Royce engines, have struggled with maintenance problems from operating in the world’s hottest climates, including the Gulf region. The agreement is for 160 firm orders — 130 787s and 30 777Xs — and options for another 50 of the two long-haul airplanes, according to Boeing. The company’s shares rose 0.6 percent in New York, while GE Aerospace stock gained 0.7 percent.
For the 787s, Qatar opted for GE Aerospace’s GEnx engines rather than Rolls-Royce’s Trent 1000, according to the administration. GE Aerospace’s GE9X is the only engine option for the 777X. The deal for 400 GE engines is the largest ever for GE Aerospace, the company’s CEO Larry Culp said in a statement, a point echoed by Qatar Airways, which told Reuters in March that it was working on a large order for widebody jets.
Trump and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani joined a signing ceremony with Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg and Qatar Airways CEO Badr Mohammed Al-Meer. Trump said Ortberg told him it was the largest jet order in Boeing’s history.
The 777X is still in development and slated to start deliveries in 2026, six years behind schedule. Qatar Airways already has orders for 94 777Xs. Its competitor, Emirates, has orders for 205 777Xs. The two airlines were among the first customers when Boeing launched the program in 2013.
Boeing’s order book included 521 777X orders and 828 787 orders as of April 30, according to the company.
(With Agencies)
