Qatar Airways has signed a record-setting deal to purchase jets from Boeing during U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to the Gulf nation on May 14, 2025, as part of his Middle East tour.
The agreement, signed in Doha in the presence of Trump and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, is valued at over $200 billion and covers 160 aircraft, according to remarks made by the US president during the signing ceremony.
Trump said Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, who signed the deal alongside Qatar Airways CEO Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, described it as “the largest order of jets in the history of Boeing.”
“Get those planes out there, get them out there,” the US president added.
The exact breakdown of aircraft models has not yet been disclosed, and it remains unclear whether the deal consists entirely of firm orders, which require deposits and contractual commitments, or includes options.
Ahead of the formal announcement, a source familiar with the matter had confirmed the agreement to NewsNation on May 13, 2025.
Trump’s Middle East tour began on May 13, 2025, with a stop in Saudi Arabia, where he signed a string of bilateral agreements. As of May 14, 2025, the US president traveled from Saudi Arabia to Qatar for a state visit and official dinner. The tour is scheduled to conclude the same day.
Earlier reports had suggested the scope of the order would include around 100 widebody jets, with an option for 100 more, though at the time, Boeing declined to confirm it and Qatar Airways did not respond to requests for comment. A White House official also declined to preempt any presidential announcements.
Additionally, while in Qatar, the US President is expected to receive a VIP Boeing 747-8 as a gift from the ruling Qatari royal family. This aircraft will serve as a temporary measure until the US government receives its own delayed 747-8s to replace the existing pair of Air Force One aircraft.
The move to use the gifted 747-8 from Qatar comes as Trump has repeatedly voiced his frustration with Boeing over the long delays and rising costs of the new Air Force One jets.
