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.
