President Donald Trump presided over the signing of a monumental aviation agreement in Doha on Wednesday, as Boeing finalized a record-setting order with Qatar for up to 210 widebody aircraft valued at $96 billion. The deal, announced during Trump’s overseas economic tour, was lauded by the White House as the largest widebody order in the company’s history and a major victory for U.S. manufacturing and exports.
The agreement includes 130 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and 30 777-9 aircraft, with options for an additional 50 jets. It was signed in the presence of President Trump, Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg. Boeing praised the order as a milestone that anchors Qatar Airways’ future fleet with American-made jets and strengthens the strategic relationship between the two nations.
This multi-billion-dollar contract forms part of a larger package of U.S.-Qatar agreements totaling over $243 billion, which include aerospace, defense, and technology deals. GE Aerospace also secured contracts to supply engines for the new fleet. These announcements came as President Trump led a delegation focused on expanding trade and defense cooperation across the Gulf region.
The prime minister of Qatar addressed recent political criticism surrounding a separate plan involving a Boeing 747-8 intended for presidential use and later donation to Trump’s presidential library, calling it a standard government-to-government transaction. Questions from both Republican and Democrat lawmakers had suggested the deal could be misconstrued as influence peddling, but Qatari leadership dismissed such speculation.
Boeing, still recovering from a turbulent 2024 marked by production setbacks and labor strikes, received a much-needed boost from the Qatar agreement. Last year, Boeing’s order numbers dropped sharply, and deliveries were down 34% amid a string of crises. This new contract marks a resurgence for America’s largest exporter and supports thousands of domestic jobs in aerospace and manufacturing.
The Trump administration continues to make aircraft orders a central part of its broader trade negotiation strategy. Last week, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick revealed a $10 billion commitment from a British airline to purchase Boeing jets, which was later identified as IAG’s order for 30 Dreamliners. These deals serve as high-profile components of a larger economic diplomacy effort aimed at revitalizing American industry and restoring global trade leverage.
In addition to the Boeing announcement, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed multiple defense agreements with Qatar, including letters of intent for unmanned aerial systems and counter-drone technology. These agreements expand bilateral defense cooperation and deepen U.S. strategic engagement in the region.
Trump’s visit to Doha followed a stop in Saudi Arabia, where his administration announced $600 billion in tech and defense contracts. The delegation will conclude its Middle East tour in the United Arab Emirates, underscoring the administration’s aggressive pursuit of international economic partnerships and American industrial leadership abroad.
