Trump lands in Doha to boost trade and investment ties with Qatar

As US President Donald Trump begins his two-day visit to Qatar on Wednesday, expectations are high for a range of new trade agreements that could further strengthen the already robust economic and strategic ties between the two countries.

Doha considers Washington one of its most important economic partners, with bilateral trade and investment exceeding $200 billion.

Over the past decade, Qatar has poured hundreds of billions of dollars into the US economy, generating tens of thousands of jobs across the country. More than 220 US companies currently operate in Qatar, alongside 640 US-Qatari joint ventures.

Moreover, over 220 US companies currently operate in the Qatari market, in addition to 640 US-Qatari joint ventures.

During a press conference held in Doha last Sunday, US Ambassador to Qatar Timmy Davis said the visit reflected the desire of the two countries' leaderships to celebrate the commercial and economic ties that united them.

He predicted that announcements would be made during the visit on deals in various sectors, including education, defence and security, trade and investment, and the health sector.

He also noted that talks were underway on new avenues and sectors for economic cooperation between the two countries.

Economics professor at Qatar University, Jalal Qanas, described the relationship between Qatar and the US as "strategic".

He told The New Arab's Arabic edition that the relationship between the two focused on shared economic interests vital to both countries.

Qanas highlighted the scale of trade and investment relations between the US and Qatar, with the trade exchange between the two countries reaching $5.6 billion in 2024.

He estimated Qatari investments in the US at around $70 billion, invested in areas like real estate, technology, and others.

Trade and investment partnership

Over the last decade, the Gulf state has increased its investments in the US through the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) (the country’s sovereign wealth fund), which opened an office in New York in 2015.

In 2020, the QIA pledged to invest $45 billion in the US in the following years, with major investments in multiple sectors, including oil and gas, fintech, real estate, food production, hospitality, and more.

One example of major Qatari investment in US real estate has been through Qatari Diar, a QIA subsidiary, which has invested over $1.5 bn in the US through projects like the CityCenterDC project in Washington.  

Other real estate investments have included the 30,000-square-foot Conrad Washington Hotel, also in the US capital, which Qatari Diar developed in partnership with US-based international real estate firm Hines - one of seven properties co-developed by the two firms.

In 2023, Qatar topped the list of foreign investors in New York State, with investments totalling $1 billion, according to Qatari newspaper Al Sharq, citing a report by The Real Deal website.

More recently, the US has followed suit: on April 30, the Trump Organization entered into its first real estate development agreement in Qatar, with Qatari Diar signing an agreement with DarGlobal (an international luxury real estate developer) to develop the Trump International Golf Club & Villas in Simaisma, north of Doha.

The club will feature an 18-hole championship golf course, a clubhouse, and an exclusive collection of Trump-branded luxury villas.

Eric Trump, executive vice president of the Trump Organization and son of US President Trump, said in a statement: “We are very proud to expand the Trump brand in Qatar through this exceptional collaboration with Qatari Diar and DarGlobal,” adding, “the Trump International Golf Club in Simaisma and the luxury villa complex will reflect our highest standards of quality.”

Meanwhile, the US is the largest foreign investor in Qatar's oil and gas sector, with the Gulf Emirate a pivotal country when it comes to global energy security.

On this front, QatarEnergy company is partnering American oil and gas giant ExxonMobil to develop the Golden Pass LNG project in Texas, which has an investment value of approximately $11.5 bn.

QatarEnergy company owns 70 percent of the project, whose productive capacity is projected at 18 million tonnes of LNG per year, while ExxonMobil owns 30 percent. Production is expected to begin at the end of this year.

Strategic dialogues

Aside from the two countries’ trade relations, the US-Qatar Strategic Dialogue has been a yearly fixture since 2018, during which the two sides have discussed partnership prospects in sectors including defence, counterterrorism, counter-extremism, trade, and investment.

US Ambassador to Qatar Timmy Davis pointed out that Washington, President Trump, and US business leaders recognise that Qatar offers significant opportunities for US companies and investors, as well as sustainable investment opportunities for the US.

This is an edited translation from our Arabic edition.