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 Qatar |  United States |
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Qatar and the United States are strategicallies. Qatar has been designated amajor non-NATO ally by the United States.Qatar maintains an embassy inWashington, D.C. and the U.S. has an embassy inDoha.[1]
The United States formed diplomatic relations with Qatar on 19 March 1972, when diplomatWilliam Stoltzfus met with Qatari government officials and submitted his credentials.[2] Bilateral relations between the two countries have expanded since the opening of the U.S. embassy inDoha in March 1973.[3] The first resident U.S. ambassador arrived in July 1974. Qatar and the United States coordinate closely on Middle Eastern regional diplomatic initiatives to increase security in thePersian Gulf. The two countries also have extensive economic links, especially in thehydrocarbons sector.[4] Qatar has also developed international educational institutions in the region to cater to the Middle Eastern market.[5][6] Qatar also hosts an American military facility.[7]
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During the2017 Qatar diplomatic crisis, the United States PresidentDonald Trump claimed credit for engineering the diplomatic crisis in a series of tweets.[8] On 6 June, Trump began by tweeting: "During my recent trip to the Middle East I stated that there can no longer be funding of Radical Ideology. Leaders pointed to Qatar – look!"[9][8] An hour and a half later, he remarked on Twitter that it was "good to see the Saudi Arabia visit with the King and 50 countries already paying off. They said they would take a hard line on funding extremism, and all reference [sic] was pointing to Qatar. Perhaps this will be the beginning of the end to the horror of terrorism!"[10][11][12] This was in contrast to attempts byThe Pentagon andState department to remain neutral. The Pentagon praised Qatar for hosting theAl Udeid Air Base and for its "enduring commitment to regional security."U.S. Ambassador to Qatar,Dana Shell Smith, sent a similar message.[13][14] Earlier, the USSecretary of State had taken a neutral stance and called for dialogue.[15] Qatar hosts about 10,000 U.S. troops at Al Udeid Air Base, which houses the forward operating base ofUnited States Central Command that plays a commanding role in US airstrikes in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan.[16][12][17] A Pentagon spokesperson claimed the diplomatic crisis would not affect the US military posture in Qatar.[12][8] On 8 June, President Donald Trump, during a phone call with theEmir of QatarTamim bin Hamad Al Thani, offered as a mediator in the conflict with a White House meeting between the parties if necessary.[18] The offer was declined, and Qatari official stated, "The emir has no plans to leave Qatar while the country is under a blockade."[19]
On 30 January 2018 an inaugural United States-Qatar Strategic Dialogue meeting was held, co-chaired by U.S. Secretary of StateRex Tillerson, U.S. Secretary of DefenseJim Mattis, Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for DefenseKhalid al-Attiyah and Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign MinisterMohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. The meeting expressed the need for an immediate resolution of the crisis which respects Qatar's sovereignty. In a Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation the U.S. expressed its readiness to deter and confront any external threat to Qatar's territorial integrity. Qatar offered to help fund the expansion of facilities at U.S. bases in Qatar.[20][21]
Over 1,000 Qatari students study in the United States.[22] Six U.S. universities have branch campuses in Qatar'sEducation City complex. There areVirginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUQ),Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar (WCMC-Q),Texas A&M University at Qatar (TAMUQ),Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q),Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar (SFS-Qatar),[23] andNorthwestern University[24] in 2008.
The relationship between Qatar and the American Academy began in the 1970s and 1980s. In the twenty-first century, Qatar has become the largest foreign donor. Between 2001 and 2021, Qatar donated $4.7 billion to a variety of academic institutions across the United States.[25][26]
EmirTamim bin Hamad Al Thani visited Washington in July 2019,[27] and PresidentGeorge W. Bush visited Qatar in 2003 where he spoke to troops stationed there.[28]Donald Rumsfeld, the 21st Secretary of Defense from 2001 to 2006, also visited Qatar in 2002.[29] Secretary of StateHillary Clinton visited Qatar in February 2010,[30] and SecretaryJohn Kerry traveled to Qatar in March 2013.[31]
Post Sheikh Tamim and Donald Trump's meeting in July 2019, Qatar agreed to purchase "tremendous amounts of military equipment" andBoeing planes from the United States.[32][33] The deal has been signed with some of the major US companies, including Boeing,General Electric,Raytheon,Gulfstream Aerospace andChevron Phillips Chemical and is expected to cost tens of billions of dollars. Sheikh Tamim also announced to double Qatar's current economic partnership of more than $185 billion with the US.[34]
President Biden and his top advisors have made several visits to Qatar during the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. The visits were focused on advancing negotiations to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas and discussing the war in Gaza.[35][36][37]
On 24 October 2024, Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani of Qatar, alongside U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, met in Doha to discuss the Gaza conflict, emphasizing the need for a ceasefire and efforts to release hostages. Al Thani expressed concerns about the expansion of the war to Lebanon and called for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701. Both leaders stressed the importance of finding a long-term solution for Gaza and the West Bank, with Blinken highlighting U.S. and Qatari roles in humanitarian aid and diplomacy to stabilize the region.[38]
On 14 May 2025, Donald Trump became the first U.S. President ever to visit Qatar during thesecond foreign trip of hissecond term.[39]
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Qatar mediated a deal between the United States andIran, which in September 2023 saw the release of five prisoners in each country and the unfreezing of US$6 billion of Iranian funds, which had been frozen due to sanctions imposed by the U.S.[40][41] The U.S. citizens were flown to Doha and greeted by U.S. ambassador to QatarTimmy T. Davis[42] andQatar Airways CEOAkbar Al Baker[43] before boarding a plane to Washington, D.C..[44] U.S. PresidentBiden thankedSheik Tamim and Qatari officials for their role in the mediation as well as establishing a "Humanitarian channel" for Iran.[45] The US$6 billion were released to banks in Doha[44] under the condition that Iran could use the funds only for humanitarian purposes.[41]
During the78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Qatari officials set up meetings with both countries, hoping to make progress on further talks regarding Iran's uranium enrichment and export of drones.[46]
On 7 October 2023, theGaza war escalated, following a massive invasion of Israeli territory byPalestinian militant organizations. Amid the conflict, Qatar played a crucial role in securing the release of two American hostages fromHamas.[47] This act of mediation was highly praised by US President Joe Biden. Additionally, Qatar Airways facilitated the safe return of more than 200 Australians from Israel.[48][49]
Principal U.S. officials include:
The U.S. maintains an embassy[50] inDoha, Qatar.
Principal Qatari officials include:
Qatar maintains anembassy in Washington, DC.[51]
Qatar and the United States enjoy close economic and trade relations. The United States is Qatar's fifth trading partner and the primary source of imports which amounts to $4.108bn. During January–August 2021, the Qatar-US bilateral trade reached $3.2bn.[52]
The US has officially designated Qatar as a major non-NATO ally, enhancing the partnership between Doha and Washington and giving the Gulf country special economic and military privileges in its relationship with the US.[53] This marks Qatar's third Gulf ally, following Kuwait and Bahrain. The US State Department praised the designation as a symbol of the close relationship and respect for the friendship between the two countries.[54][55]
Beginning in 1992, Qatar has built intimate military ties with the United States, and is now the location of U.S. Central Command's Forward Headquarters and the Combined Air Operations Center.
As of 2015[update], the following American bases currently exist:
In 2003, the US military baseDoha International Air Base (also known as Camp Snoopy) was closed.[56]
Former US Defense SecretaryRobert Gates stated in May 2017 that he doesn't "know instances in which Qatar aggressively goes after (terror finance) networks of Hamas, Taliban, Al-Qaeda," and that "My attitudes toward Al-Udeid and any other facility is that the United States military doesn’t have any irreplaceable facility."[57] Qatar hosts the largest American base in the Middle East, theAl Udeid Air Base, which has been used by the United States in its campaigns in Iraq,Syria andAfghanistan.[58]
In 2014, the United States sold $11 billion worth of arms to Qatar, includingAH-64 Apache attack helicopters andPatriot andJavelin defense systems.[59]
In June 2017, Qatar signed a $12 billion deal to buy 36F-15QA strike aircraft from the United States, withBoeing as the prime contractor on the sale.[60]
On September 29, 2025, US President Trump issued an executive order committing to the defense of Qatar,[61] — including retaliatory military action — if it is attacked. The actual scope of the order remains in question because legally binding agreements or treaties must be approved by the US Senate.[62]
Qatar donated $100 million in aid toNew Orleans afterHurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast in August 2005.[63]
WhenHurricane Harvey hit the state ofTexas from August to September 2017, Qatar's ambassador announced on 8 September that the country would be donating $30 million in aid to help rebuild Texas.[64]
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromU.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets.United States Department of State.
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