3 days ago
A summit of the Arab League began in Baghdad on Saturday, with Syria’s president absent following Iraqi outcry. Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas was the first Arab leader to arrive in Baghdad on Friday, followed by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Saturday. However, a diplomatic source told AFP that most Gulf leaders would not be attending. Other figures present in Baghdad on Saturday include United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. The summit is expected to discuss the numerous crises afflicting the region, including Israel’s ongoing attack on the Gaza Strip. US President Donald Trump, who has been touring the Gulf states, sparked outrage in the Arab world earlier this year when he declared his country would take control of Gaza and turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East”. In response, Arab leaders announced the development of a post-war plan at the previous summit in Cairo in March to rebuild the territory. The Iraqi government has said this month’s summit would endorse the plan, which calls for a $53bn fund to finance Gaza’s reconstruction over five years. Under the proposal, the territory would be administered during a transitional period by a committee of Palestinian technocrats, […]
5 days ago
US President Donald Trump signed an agreement with Qatar to generate an economic exchange worth at least $1.2tn as part of his tour of the Gulf. President Trump also announced economic deals totalling more than $243.5bn between the United States and Qatar, including an historic sale of Boeing aircraft and GE Aerospace engines to Qatar Airways. The landmark deals will drive innovation and prosperity, said the Whitehouse in a statement. Donald Trump in Qatar Among the deals secured in Qatar were: The agreements mark President Trump’s intent to accelerate Qatar’s defence investment in the US-Qatar security partnership—enhancing regional deterrence and benefitting the US industrial base. The defence deals lock in Qatar’s procurement of state-of-the-art military equipment from two leading US defence companies. Raytheon, an RTX business, secured a $1bn agreement for Qatar’s acquisition of counter-drone capabilities, signed by the US and Qatari governments. This deal establishes Qatar as the first international customer for Raytheon’s Fixed Site – Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aerial System Integrated Defeat System (FS-LIDS). General Atomics secured a nearly $2bn agreement for Qatar’s acquisition of the MQ-9B remotely piloted aircraft system, signed by the US and Qatari governments. The United States and Qatar also signed a statement of […]
5 days ago
Hillary Clinton can’t help herself when it comes to President Trump, posting on X Wednesday “No one gives someone a $400 million jet for free without expecting anything in return. Be serious,” in reference to Trump’s acceptance of a luxury Boeing 747 from Qatar’s royal family. Everyone quickly pointed out the hypocrisy, given the Clinton Foundation’s history of accepting substantial donations from Arab states, including Qatar, during her tenure as Secretary of State. The Clinton Foundation has received over $40 million from Arab countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and even accepted a $1 million gift from Qatar in 2011 without informing the State Department, despite Clinton’s agreement to disclose such contributions for review. No one gives someone a $400 million dollar jet for free without expecting anything in return. Be serious. — Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) May 14, 2025 Respondents noted that Clinton’s post, comments closed as ever, reopened scrutiny of her own ethical lapses, with many pointing out that she’s the last person who should be commenting on this matter. what did Qatar want from you https://t.co/l3lIEp1zw3 pic.twitter.com/pog3p2KnJ1 — Jerry Dunleavy IV 🇺🇸 (@JerryDunleavy) May 14, 2025 Clinton’s out here tweeting “be serious” about Trump’s plane while her […]
6 days ago
Boeing Co. won an order from Qatar Airways amid a flurry of deals between Gulf nations and the US during President Donald Trump’s visit to the region. The agreement signed by the Doha-based carrier is for 160 aircraft, according to the White House, in what it said is the largest order in the American company’s history. The commitment provides a big commercial win for Boeing, which has come under pressure from Trump for delays on the latest Air Force One presidential jets. Qatar has long been a loyal Boeing customer, though the carrier also flies a large fleet of Airbus SE short- and longhaul aircraft. Widebody aircraft have been in higher demand since the pandemic as global routes reopened and airlines sought to replenish their aging fleets. Emirates, Qatar Airway’s bigger regional competitor, ordered more than 100 Boeing planes at the last Dubai Air Show in 2023, and carriers including Air India and British Airways have also snapped up more long-range planes. The deal was announced during Trump’s visit to Doha as part of a four-day trip to the Gulf, where he is expected to sign agreements that span defense, aviation, infrastructure and technology. Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund […]
6 days ago
Qatar’s offer to donate a luxury jet to the United States was not a personal gift to President Donald Trump but a “government-to-government transaction,” the Gulf nation’s prime minister said Wednesday. Trump, whose Middle East trip included a stop Wednesday in Qatar, has faced an uproar back at home since press reports revealed he was considering using the jet as Air Force One — and would potentially continue to use it after leaving office. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani downplayed those concerns, telling CNN in an interview he did not know why it had become such big news. “It is a government-to-government transaction. It has nothing to do with personnel, whether it’s on the US side or on the Qatari side, it’s the Ministry of Defense and Department of Defense,” he said, echoing the White House’s reaction to the backlash. He also dismissed allegations that Qatar was using the gift as a way of influencing Trump, saying it rather trying to help solve its US ally’s problems. “Qatar has been always a reliable partner for the US, has been always stepping up to help and support the US, because we believe that this friendship […]
6 days ago
President Trump’s Gulf tour began Tuesday with the lifting of long-standing U.S. sanctions on Syria and a massive $600 billion investment deal from Saudi Arabia to invest in the American economy. The visit quickly led to a flurry of other investments, including multibillion-dollar AI deals between U.S. chipmakers Nvidia and AMD with Humain, a newly launched artificial intelligence firm backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. On Wednesday, the momentum continued in Qatar, where Trump unveiled Boeing’s largest widebody aircraft order ever. Faisal Al-Mudahka, editor-in-chief of the Gulf Times, described Qatar Airways’ massive purchase of between 160 – 200 widebody aircraft from Boeing—the largest order in the company’s history—as a “win-win” for both nations. “I think Donald Trump and Qatar know how to package things to make political gains and economic gains,” Al-Mudahka said. Qatar Airways has become one of the world’s top airlines, with a growing market share worldwide. The expanded fleet of the 787 Dreamliner model will allow the airline to add more long-haul flights. Earlier, Trump participated in a signing ceremony on a series of bilateral agreements with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha, including: President Donald Trump says Boeing won an order from Qatar Airways amid a […]
1 week ago
US President Donald Trump has embarked on a three-day visit to the Gulf, his first official foreign trip since retaking office in January. The high-stakes tour kicks off in Saudi Arabia, followed by Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, with significant economic and geopolitical objectives on the table. This marks Trump’s second overseas visit since returning to the White House, following his attendance at Pope Francis’s funeral in Rome last month.Riyadh first: Breaking tradition again Trump arrives in Riyadh on Tuesday, continuing a tradition from his first term, when he chose Saudi Arabia as his first international destination, breaking with the longstanding tradition of visiting the UK, Canada or Mexico. He is set to attend a Gulf summit in Riyadh on Wednesday, visit Qatar later that day, and conclude his tour in the UAE on Thursday. Trump won’t be able to avoid diplomacy on Gaza or Iran: The Gulf countries hosting him are also interested in easing the regional tensions that emanate from these two places. “Trump can easily score a win by reassuring them of America’s strategic commitment to the region, demonstrating consistent messaging and generally rising above the fray,” analysts Elizabeth Dent and Simon Henderson of the Washington Institute for Near […]
1 week ago
Qatar is boosting recruitment services for graduates of universities in the country. In line with its drive to digitise recruitment services and harness young talent, the Ministry of Labour announced the launch of the first phase of the “Ouqoul” platform-an innovative digital initiative designed to streamline the hiring process for private-sector companies seeking to recruit university graduates in Qatar. Developed in partnership with Google Cloud and Manaei Infotech, the platform exemplifies the Ministry’s commitment to leveraging cutting-edge global technologies to enhance efficiency and reliability in its programmes and initiatives. Qatar recruitment services “Ouqoul” concentrates on roles falling outside the nationalisation scheme, reflecting the Ministry’s dedication to providing high-quality employment opportunities for qualified expats while bolstering and evolving the local labour market to meet its changing needs. Consistent with Qatar’s pledge to expand job prospects for domestically educated talent, “Ouqoul” offers an intuitive, user-friendly interface that connects private-sector employers with skilled expat graduates. The first phase is exclusively available to institutions that value the integration of home-grown expertise into their workforce. “Ouqoul” enables companies to upload job specifications as PDFs or to create them directly within the platform, granting maximum flexibility. A standout feature is its AI-driven chatbot, which assists employers in […]
1 week ago
President Donald Trump’s administration is likely to accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from Qatar’s royal family, in what may be the most valuable gift ever received from a foreign government, ABC News reported Sunday. The gift is expected to be announced next week, when Trump visits Qatar as part of his Middle East tour, ABC News cited people familiar with the plans as saying. The super luxury Boeing Co. 747-8 jumbo jet is to be used as Air Force One, the people told the publication. The White House and Department of Justice didn’t immediately respond to ABC’s request for comment, including on whether the gift is legal. A spokesperson for the Qatari embassy did not respond to requests for comment, ABC said. US Attorney General Pam Bondi and Trump’s top White House lawyer David Warrington drafted an analysis concluding that the donation of the aircraft would be “legally permissible” as long as its ownership is transferred to Trump’s presidential library before the end of his term, according to ABC. The plane will then be transferred to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation no later than Jan. 1, 2029, and any costs relating to its transfer will be paid for by the US […]
2 weeks ago
Qatar spent billions of dollars preparing for the 2022 World Cup, betting that the global spotlight would spark a lasting tourism boom. Three years on, that gamble appears to be paying off. International tourist arrivals surged to 5.1 million last year, up 25 per cent from 2023. Nearly 2 million people have visited Qatar so far this year, fueling optimism among tourism officials that the gas-rich nation could surpass its targets ahead of schedule. “Our target for 2030 was 6 to 7 million visitors, but I think we will achieve this number sooner,” said Abdulaziz Ali Al Mawlawi, chief executive officer of Visit Qatar, in an interview in Dubai last week. To help edge up numbers, the country aims to position itself as the “capital of sports,” he said. Over the next few months, Qatar is set to hold events including the the biggest-ever edition of the Fifa U-17 World Cup, the 2025 Fifa Arab Cup, and the Formula 1 Grand Prix at Lusail International Circuit. “We’ll be announcing a very big event for late November in Doha,” Al Mawlawi said, declining to give further details other than that it would be a global one. The rise in visitor numbers […]