class="article-meta doctype-meta">Fact Sheet
The United States and Qatar benefit from historically close ties built on more than 50 years of close cooperation on key political, commercial, social, and security objectives. The United States will continue to work closely with Qatar on our shared strategic priorities to promote security and prosperity in the Gulf and broader Middle East region, uphold effective global institutions, and foster ties between our peoples.
Thriving Economic and Commercial Partnership
The United States and Qatar enjoy a robust trade and investment relationship, which delivers concrete benefits for the American people:
- Last year Qatar imported more than $4.6 billion worth of American-made goods, from transportation equipment to information and communications devices.
- Qatar is also helping create jobs in America, having invested over $45 billion in the United States economy. This includes the Golden Pass Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Project, a joint venture between ExxonMobil and QatarEnergy on a $10 billion LNG liquefaction and export facility in Texas. Investments in the United States account for the majority of Qatari outward investment flows worldwide.
- American firms play a critical role in Qatar's energy sector, with ConocoPhillips and ExxonMobil being key partners helping QatarEnergy advance mutual energy security objectives.
Fostering Security Ties for Regional Stability
The U.S.-Qatari defense and security partnership is critical to promoting regional security and stability:
- Qatar hosts Al Udeid Air Base (AUAB) - the largest U.S. Air Force installation outside the United States - and is a global leader by example on burden-sharing: Qatar pays for a significant amount of AUAB's annual operating costs. AUAB is also home to United States Central Command (CENTCOM) and Air Force Central Command (AFCENT) Forward Headquarters. This strategic platform facilitates U.S. and Coalition operations beyond just the Middle East and is vital to providing support to U.S. forces across the entire region.
- President Biden designated Qatar a Major Non-NATO Ally in January 2022, a recognition of Qatar's contributions to U.S. national security. Qatar and the United States recently concluded multiple strategic level agreements that further enhance the bilateral security relationship, including large-scale operating and infrastructure investments at AUAB funded by Qatar.
- Qatar is the third-largest customer of U.S. defense systems around the world, including the F-15 QA fighter jet, C-17 transport plane, and Apache attack helicopter - all built in America.
- Both countries consult regularly on shared counterterrorism financing efforts, aviation security and border control initiatives, and programs to counter violent extremism. Qatar is a founding member of the D-ISIS Coalition, and is also a member of the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENA FATF), Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF), and the GCC Counterterrorism Working Group.
Advancing U.S. Interests around the World
American consistently turns to Qatar, an experienced diplomatic mediator, to help advance national security interests globally:
- Qatar has served as a trusted and indispensable partner in negotiating the release of U.S. citizens wrongfully detained and held hostage around the world. Over the last year, Qatari support has led to the release of U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents held unlawfully in Afghanistan, Rwanda, and Iran, in addition to its engagements in Gaza.
- Most recently in December 2023, Qatari mediation helped facilitate a deal between Washington and Caracas that returned ten American citizens, including six wrongfully detained individuals, to the United States. Qatar has also facilitated the reunification of Ukrainian children with their families, demonstrating its support to Ukraine in combatting Russia's brutality towards innocent Ukrainian civilians.
- As outlined in the November 2022 Letter of Intent signed by the Secretary and Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, combating trafficking in persons remains a key area of bilateral cooperation, and the United States and Qatar continue to discuss good governance and capacity building to advance labor protections in Qatar.
People-to-People Connections
Education is a key pillar of the U.S.-Qatar relationship:
- Qatar hosts six U.S. university branch campuses in Education City. The United States and Qatar also boost joint ties through a variety of educational and cultural exchange programs. These include flagship academic and professional exchange programs such as Fulbright, the Middle East Partnership Initiative, and the International Visitor Leadership program, and U.S. film, music, art, English-language, and speaker envoys who collaborate with new and existing partners in Qatar.
