- President Donald Trump will head to the UAE on Thursday after visiting Qatar on Wedesday where was greeted with more pomp and ceremony on the second stop of his Middle East tour.
- The White House said that Trump and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani signed agreements that would “generate an economic exchange worth at least $1.2 trillion”.
- The agreements are said to include a $96bn deal with Qatar Airways to buy up to 210 Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 777X aeroplanes, and a statement of intent for $38bn in investments at Qatar’s Al Udeid Airbase and other air defence capabilities.
- A meeting is scheduled for later today of US, Turkish and Syrian officials to discuss details of Trump’s announced dropping of sanctions against Syria.
- Trump’s three-country tour of the Gulf state region will conclude in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday.
Trump dances to ‘YMCA’ as he ends visit to military base
Trump has ended his visit to al-Udeid military base after delivering remarks to US troops stationed there.
He will now leave Qatar shortly and head towards the UAE which is scheduled to be his last stop of the regional tour.
Before leaving, Trump waved his fists to the beat of the song “YMCA” as he exited the stage.
Trump would attend Russia-Ukraine talks ‘if appropriate’
During a morning briefing in Doha, Trump said he would consider travelling to Istanbul on Friday “if it was appropriate”, referring to Russia-Ukraine peace talks hosted in the Turkish metropolis.
“If something happened, I’d go Friday, if it was appropriate,” Trump said at a meeting with business leaders in Qatar’s capital.
“We have people right now negotiating, and I think that I just hope that Russia and Ukraine are able to do something.”
You can follow all the latest on the peace talks on our live page here.
Pezeshkian says Iran will ‘not bow’ to bullying from Trump
Yesterday, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country would not “bow to any bully” in response to Trump’s criticism of Tehran during his ongoing three-day Gulf tour.
“He [Trump] thinks he can come here, chant slogans and scare us. For us, martyrdom is far sweeter than dying in bed. You came to frighten us? We will not bow to any bully,” he said on Wednesday in comments broadcast live on state TV.
Earlier on Wednesday, during the GCC summit in Riyadh, Trump said that while he wanted to make a deal with Iran, the country “must stop sponsoring terror, halt its bloody proxy wars, and permanently and verifiably cease its pursuit of nuclear weapons”.
Washington and Tehran have held four meetings that were mediated by Oman to help reach a deal over the latter’s nuclear programme.
Read the rest here.
US should ‘take’ Gaza and turn it into ‘freedom zone’
Trump said he wants to “take” Gaza and turn it into a “freedom zone”.
“I have concepts for Gaza that I think are very good, make it a freedom zone, let the US get involved and make it just a freedom zone,” he said.
Earlier this year, Trump also touted the idea of the US taking long-term ownership of the Strip, while it is rebuilt and redeveloped as the “Riviera of the Middle East”.
Trump dances to ‘God Bless the USA’ at military base in Qatar
Trump has now arrived at al-Udeid military base in Qatar.
The president stood on stage, shimmying and swaying to a song titled “God Bless the USA”, before he started his address.
He was flanked by rows of American troops behind him.
Trump arrives at al-Udeid Air Base
The US president has arrived at al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar ahead of his departure for the UAE.
Stay with us as we bring you all the latest from him time there.
You can also watch our livestream at the top of this page.
Trump en route to military base in Qatar
Trump is headed to Qatar’s al-Udeid Air Base to meet American troops, Margo Martin, Trump’s special assistant and communications advisor, said in a post on X.
Trilateral consultations involving Trump, MBS and Qatar’s emir took place in Riyadh
Trump, Qatar’s emir and the Saudi crown prince also held trilateral consultations on Wednesday in Riyadh, on the sidelines of the GCC-US summit.
During Trump’s visit to Riyadh, the US made a series of major announcements, among them the decision to lift sanctions against Syria put in place during Bashar al-Assad’s leadership.
From Riyadh, Trump flew to Qatar, where the US president also spoke of efforts made by Qatar’s emir and Saudi Arabia’s crown prince to enhance regional partnerships.
Businesses to see ‘potential economic boost’ by Trump’s visit
Local media in Qatar is reporting that business leaders from the US and Qatar “are highlighting the potential economic boost” by Trump’s visit to the country.
“This visit reflects the enduring strategic interest of US leadership in strengthening ties with Qatar,” Sheikha Mayes Al Thani, managing director at the US-Qatar Business Council (USQBC), was quoted as saying by The Peninsula.
“From a business standpoint, high-level visits such as this underscore the importance of US-Qatar economic relations and help create an enabling environment for deeper private sector engagement, trade and investment.”
Syria’s al-Sharaa sees future of ‘work and prosperity’ after sanctions
Addressing the nation for the first time since President Trump lifted sanctions against Damascus in a surprise move on Wednesday, Syria’s new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa said the move will alleviate “the suffering of the people, contributes to their rebirth and lays the foundations for stability in the region”.
US-Iran could be close to an agreement
After four rounds of talks, we don’t exactly know what the US position and demands are for Iran. At times, we heard that Iran can maintain a civilian nuclear programme. Later, we would hear that it can’t have a nuclear programme at all.
There are lots of technical details that need to be discussed to formulate a deal but they could be pretty close to an agreement. There are also those in the Trump administration pushing very hard for this, including the Israel lobby.
Trump heaping praise on Qatar’s mediation efforts
Trump said he’s trying to address the situation in terms of upgrading the US defence systems, reinvigorating the military, saving money for the country, but at the same time, using his personal relations with royal families in the Middle East that would generate trillions of dollars in the US market.
Today he’s been very grateful to the Qataris, heaping praise on the emir.
And while he will pursue a path of reconciliation and a deal with Iran, he remains steadfast when it comes to the fact that acquiring a nuclear capability is a no-go zone for Tehran, and said at one point that Qatar is best positioned to be the one to mediate with Iran.
He said the Iranians should be very happy to have someone like the Qatari emir, who has been fighting for a peaceful resolution, not a confrontation.
Trump to cap Qatar visit with call on US troops
Trump is set to cap his visit to Qatar with a speech to US soldiers stationed in the Gulf state before he flies to the UAE for the last leg of his Middle East tour.
Trump will address troops at Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base, about 30km (20 miles) southwest of Doha.
Al Udeid Air Base is the biggest US military installation in the Middle East and has played a large role in US operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria.
US recognises Qatar’s growing role as key regional player
Trump’s visit is the first by a sitting US president to Qatar since 2003, further acknowledgement of the ever-growing role of Qatar as a key regional player.
This is a country that Americans have relied on in the past, particularly when it comes to mediating a deal with the Taliban.
It’s one of the most respected mediators in the region. They have been very successful at it to the point where the Americans came back to them to bring Hamas and the Israelis to negotiate.
This is the reason why the Americans are looking forward to further expanding that relationship. And we heard Trump saying that he relies on the Qataris when it comes to providing him with assistance as he’s trying to push for a deal with Iran. They want to do it together with trusted allies, and Qatar is one of them.
Trump: ‘Iran very lucky to have Qatar’s emir fighting for them’
“Iran is very lucky to have Qatar’s emir,” said Trump.
“He doesn’t want us to do a vicious blow to Iran. He’s [Qatar’s emir] is fighting very much that we don’t [strike Iran]. Many people want us to go the other way round.”
‘My honour’ to have lifted Syria sanctions, says Trump
Here is some more from Trump in his morning briefing:
- Syria had “no chance with the sanctions… They were very biting. Nobody could even deal with them.”
- Syria’s new president is “a strong guy… I thought he was good and let’s see what happens, but we’re going to give him a fighting chance.”
- Turkiye and Saudi Arabia wanted the lift and it’s “been very popular” regionally. “Let’s see what happens, but it’s my honour to have done it.”
Trump says ‘very serious negotiations’ with Iran for peace
Just before his departure to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Trump said there are “very serious negotiations” taking place with Iran for long-term peace.
“If we do that, it will be fantastic.”
Stay with us as we bring you all the latest from his briefing this morning from Qatar.
What’s Trump’s plan for today?
- Meets business leaders for breakfast before leaving for Al Udeid Air Base.
- Departs for the UAE at 1pm (10:00 GMT).
- Reaches Abu Dhabi at about 3:10pm (11:10 GMT).
- Tours the city’s famed Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.
- Dinner at Qasr al-Watan, the UAE’s presidential palace.
US base in Qatar ‘extremely important’ for American troops
The military base Trump is set to visit is a key component of the strategic relationship between the US and Qatar.
A year ago, the two countries decided to extend the deal for the base for the next 10 years. Yesterday, they signed an agreement of intent to invest $38bn to upgrade it.
From a purely military perspective, the base is extremely important for American troops operating in the Middle East. It gives them a sense of advantage in gathering intelligence information.
Key takeaways from Trump’s Qatar visit
Trump wraps up his visit to Qatar today before heading to the UAE.
Read about the key takeaways from his visit to the Gulf state here.
If you’re just joining us
Here are the latest developments:
- President Trump is set to wrap up his Middle East tour with a visit to the UAE, where discussions about the Gulf state’s ambitions to become a semiconductor powerhouse will take centre stage.
- Qatar Airways has hailed as “historic” its agreement with Boeing – penned during Trump’s visit to Doha on Wednesday – to acquire up to 210 787 Dreamliner and 777X aircraft at a cost of $96bn.
- Speaking at a state dinner in Qatar’s capital, Trump pushed for Iran to accept a deal curbing its nuclear programme, saying he doesn’t want talks to take a “violent course”.
- Republicans are adding their voices to a chorus of concern about Trump’s plans to accept a Boeing 747 from Qatar to use as Air Force One, with Senator Roger Wicker saying the move would be like “moving into the Qatari embassy”.
- Speaking in a television address, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa welcomed President Trump’s “courageous” lifting of sanctions on his country.
- Trump’s surprise announcement also reportedly caught State Department and Treasury Department personnel off guard, with officials now reportedly scrambling to understand how to proceed.
Time Trump drops Netanyahu, says Marwan Bishara
Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst Marwan Bishara highlights that President Trump’s Gulf tour goes beyond trade figures and massive investment deals.
Bishara said that while economic agreements were front and centre, they serve a deeper strategic purpose, reflecting a shift in Washington’s approach under President Trump.
Rather than letting geopolitics shape economic decisions, Bishara suggests that Trump is using economics as the primary tool to drive his geopolitical agenda, particularly in the Middle East.
White House posts videos of Trump with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim
The White House social media team has released a flurry of videos of Trump’s time spent with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
The videos posted on X by Margo Martin, Trump’s special assistant and communications adviser, include vision of the US president and emir watching a sword dancing ceremony at Al Wajba Palace in Doha.
Future of Middle East ‘commerce not chaos’, Trump’s energy secretary says
United States Secretary of Energy Chris Wright is among the members of Trump’s cabinet accompanying the president on his Middle East tour.
In a post on X on Thursday, Wright reiterated a major theme of Trump’s address in Saudi Arabia: that a new generation of leaders in the region is transcending ancient conflicts and divisions to forge a peaceful and prosperous future.
“President Trump is absolutely right – the future of the Middle East is commerce not chaos,” Wright wrote.
“I’m honored to join @POTUS on this trip to ensure that American energy remains the backbone of global stability and strength for years to come.”
AI development likely to be a focus for Trump in UAE final leg of Gulf tour
The UAE holds ambitions to become a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI), and it’s hoping the US will help the wealthy Gulf nation transform itself into a semiconductor powerhouse by giving it access to cutting-edge chips currently subject to export restrictions.
Former US President Joe Biden had imposed strict restrictions on exporting AI chips to the Middle East and other regions, fearing they could be diverted to China.
But on Wednesday, the Reuters news agency reported that the Trump administration had made a preliminary agreement with the UAE to allow it to import 500,000 of Nvidia’s most advanced AI chips a year, starting this year.
The UAE hopes the deal will boost the construction of in-country data centres capable of developing artificial intelligence models.
During a visit to Washington in March, the UAE’s National Security Adviser Tahnoun bin Zayed said the country has proposed $1.4 trillion in US investments over the next 10 years, focusing on AI and semiconductor infrastructure, the energy sector and manufacturing.