Qatar Airways Seals $200bn Aircraft Deal with Boeing as Trump Arrives Doha

Duro Ikhazuagbe in Doha

Qatar and the United States of America on Wednesday sealed deals to boost defence and trade ties.

US President Donald Trump arrived Doha on the second stop of his four-day Middle East trip, which began in Saudi Arabia.

Both Trump and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, witnessed the signing of the Qatar Airways’ purchase of 160 Boeing jets from America worth over $200billion.

THISDAY Sports Editor, Duro Ikhazuagbe, who is in the city for the World Athletics’ Third Meeting of the 2025 Diamond League scheduled for Friday, May 16, reports that Trump’s Air Force One aircraft was escorted into Doha by Qatar’s F15 fighter jets.

The American leader flew into the Qatari capital from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where the first leg of his four-day trip to the Gulf Region witnessed the signing of weapons sale agreements with the kingdom, plus billions of dollars’ worth of commercial contracts.

Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, received the American president on the tarmac of the Hamad International Airport at about 2.20pm (12.20pm in Nigeria).

Top Qatari government and business leaders joined the Emir to receive the August visitor before heading out in The Beast limousine for the Amiri Diwan Palace in Lusail, the seat of government in Qatar.

A visibly impressed Trump told his host Emir that he had done very well for his country. “You did a great job,” observed the American leader.

Before they entered into a closed-door meeting, clips of their discussions on state television showed the Emir telling Trump that as a man of peace, he should help to bring peace to the Gulf region.

“I know that you are a man of peace,” the Emir said.

Replying, Trump promised to help stabilise the region by ensuring that peace reigned there.

“We’ll bring peace, not only here, but I know you’re very much involved in helping us in other regions, like what’s happening with Russia-Ukraine,” the Emir said.

Trump, the first US president in 20 years to visit Qatar, marvelled at the architecture of the luxurious Amiri Diwan Palace.

Trump told his host, “The job you’ve done (here) is second to none. You look at this, it’s so beautiful. As a construction person, I’m seeing perfect marble. This is what they call perfecto. Then Trump settled down to the business of why he was in Doha.

The two leaders later went into a closed-door meeting that was likely to centre on lifting sanctions on some members of the Gulf region, most especially Syria.

Before Trump’s visit to Doha, Qatar had pledged to gift the American leader a brand-new Boeing 747-8 luxury aircraft valued at $400 million. The plane, which would be one of the most valuable gifts ever received by the USA government, is to be outfitted to serve as replacement for the present 40-year-old Air Force One.

Several critics, however, reacted to the gift with suspicion, with most of them on social media asking what Qatar wanted in return for the gift to America.

Trump was clearly enjoying his time in the Middle East, being feted by royalty as he visited some of the wealthiest nations on earth, striking lucrative deals as he went.

He argued that it was the kind of commercial contacts that will help the Middle East overcome a history of violent conflict

While travelling from Riyadh to Doha, Trump told reporters on board Air Force One that he was willing to head to Turkey for talks on Ukraine if his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin also travelled there.

The US president said he did not know if Putin would attend, “if I’m not there”.

“I know he would like me to be there, and that’s a possibility. If we could end the war, I’d be thinking about that,” Trump said in the televised report aboard Air Force One.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio was expected to attend the Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Turkey on Thursday, a US official previously announced.

Trump had given hope to the conflict in Syria, when he said in Riyadh that he would lift economic sanctions on Syria, and he briefly met the new Syrian president for the first time before leaving for Qatar.