US President Donald J. Trump signed a landmark agreement with Qatar on Wednesday to generate an economic exchange worth at least $1.2 trillion, highlighting his second stop in a high-profile Middle East tour. During the visit, Trump announced economic deals totalling more than $243.5 billion between the United States and Qatar, including a historic sale of Boeing aircraft and GE Aerospace engines to Qatar Airways.
The centrepiece of these agreements is Qatar Airways’ purchase of 160 Boeing jets worth $200 billion, signed in Doha in the presence of Trump and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani. Boeing and GE Aerospace secured a landmark order from Qatar Airways, including a $96 billion agreement to acquire up to 210 American-made Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 777X aircraft powered by GE Aerospace engines. This represents Boeing’s largest-ever widebody order and largest-ever 787 order, supporting an estimated 154,000 U.S. jobs annually, amounting to over one million jobs during the production and delivery period.
The agreements extend beyond aviation into energy, defence, and technology sectors. McDermott continues its strong partnership with Qatar Energy, currently managing seven active projects worth $8.5 billion as the sole provider of offshore components for Qatar’s major LNG expansion. Engineering firm Parsons has secured 30 projects worth up to $97 billion, while Quantinuum has finalised a joint venture agreement with Al Rabban Capital that will see Qatar invest up to $1 billion in quantum technologies.
Significant defence deals were also announced during the visit. Raytheon secured a $1 billion agreement for Qatar’s acquisition of counter-drone capabilities, establishing Qatar as the first international customer for Raytheon’s Fixed Site – Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aerial System Integrated Defeat System. General Atomics secured a nearly $2 billion agreement for Qatar’s acquisition of the MQ-9B remotely piloted aircraft system. Additionally, the United States and Qatar signed a statement of intent outlining over $38 billion in potential investments, including support for Al Udeid Air Base and future defence capabilities.
Qatar, which holds the world’s third-largest proven reserves of natural gas, has already made substantial investments in American energy infrastructure. Since 2019, QatarEnergy has invested $18 billion in the U.S. energy sector, including ExxonMobil’s Golden Pass LNG Terminal ($10 billion) and Chevron Phillips Chemical’s Golden Triangle Polymers Plant ($8 billion), both located on the Texas Gulf Coast.
The United States maintained a $2 billion trade surplus with Qatar in 2024, continuing a positive trade balance that has existed since 2003. Last year, U.S.-Qatar trade totalled $5.64 billion, with $3.8 billion in U.S. exports and $1.8 billion in Qatari imports. Qatar’s greenfield investment in the United States totalled $3.3 billion in 2023, focused on hotels and tourism, information technology, advanced manufacturing, financial services, and oil and gas.
This visit’s agreements build on the $600 billion investment commitment Trump secured in Saudi Arabia during the first leg of his Gulf tour, furthering his administration’s efforts to revitalise American manufacturing and create high-paying jobs across the nation.
