Trump to Meet Qatari Leaders During Stopover En Route Asia

Trump to Meet Qatari Leaders During Stopover En Route Asia

US President Donald Trump will meet on Saturday with the emir and prime minister of Qatar — a key ally in maintaining the fragile Gaza peace deal — during a refuelling stop on his way to Asia, officials said.

The Qatari leaders are expected to board Air Force One late in the day when it lands at Al Udeid Air Base, home to the regional headquarters of the US military and thousands of American troops, a White House official added.

Trump is travelling to Asia for the first time since retaking office in January, with two regional summits and a face-to-face meeting with China’s Xi Jinping and other leaders planned.

The previously unannounced meeting in Qatar will also include US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, fresh from a visit to Israel as part of Washington’s intensive diplomatic efforts to maintain the Gaza truce.

Qatar has played a central mediating role in indirect talks between Israel and Hamas since the outbreak of the war and is one of the guarantors of the fragile peace deal, along with Egypt, the United States, and Turkey.

Earlier this week, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani hosted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss sensitive next steps in the deal, including the establishment of a Gaza security force and the future role of Hamas.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has also been a key negotiator since the conflict erupted following Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack on Israel.