Trump accelerates Qatar’s investment in the US-Qatar security partnership
May 16, 2025
The United States and Qatar have a strong commercial relationship and a long history of trade, including significant long-term investments in aviation, critical infrastructure, information technology, and consulting.
The United States has had a positive trade balance with Qatar since 2003 and recorded a US $2 billion trade surplus with Qatar in 2024 with exports worth US $3.8 billion and US $1.8 billion of Qatari imports.
The defence relationship is particularly important, with Qatar enhancing regional deterrence through basing agreements and its own forces, as well as benefiting the US industrial base and creating a stream of opportunities for US businesses. Qatar is the twelfth largest US Foreign Military Sales partner with active cases valued at more than US $26 billion.
The two defence deals signed during Trump’s visit “lock in Qatar’s procurement of state-of-the-art military equipment from two leading US defense companies.”
The US and Qatari governments signed an agreement worth nearly US $2 billion for the acquisition of the MQ-9B remotely piloted aircraft system, claimed to be the most advanced multi-mission remotely piloted aircraft in the world.
Qatar signed a US $1 billion agreement for the acquisition of counter-drone capabilities, and has become the first international customer for Raytheon’s Fixed Site – Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aerial System Integrated Defeat System (FS-LIDS). This is designed to counter unmanned aircraft and drones. The deal will support highly-skilled manufacturing and engineering jobs in the United States and promised to reinforce American leadership in innovative defence technologies.
The United States and Qatar also signed a statement of intent to further strengthen their security partnership, outlining more than US $38 billion in potential investments including support for burden-sharing at Al Udeid Air Base and future air defence and maritime security capabilities.
