(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula
Doha: The US-Qatar Business Council (USQBC) hosted an exclusive US-Qatar Defense and Security Roundtable luncheon at USQBC's head office in Washington, DC. The event provided an opportunity for key officials and USQBC members to discuss important issues and the future expansion of the defense and security cooperation between the United States and State of Qatar.
The event featured the following speakers: Defense Attaché of the State of Qatar in the United States Brigadier General Ali M. Al Kuwari, A/CEO, Barzan Holdings .Abdullah Al-Khater, USQBC President Scott Taylor, Managing Director and Treasurer of the Board of Directors at USQBC Mohammed Barakat.
“Qatar is committed to promoting regional security and stability through our defense & security partnership with the United States,” said Brigadier General Ali M. Al Kuwari, the Defense Attaché of the State of Qatar in the United States.
“Our defense partnership is a cornerstone of this relationship, and we look forward to continuing to work together to address common threats and challenges.” Not only is Qatar a key export destination of US defense and security equipment, the country also hosts the largest US military base in the Middle East.
The Al Udeid Air Base hosts over 10,000 US soldiers and is the headquarters for the US Central Command, US Air Force Central Command, and the Forward Command Center for US Special Operations. The US recently approved a $3bn expansion of Al Udeid Air Base, which further reinforces the long-term relationship between the US and Qatar.
“Qatar is committed to investing in cutting-edge defense technologies and expanding our domestic defense capabilities,” said Abdullah Al-Khater, A/CEO of Barzan Holdings.
“We are proud of the progress we have made so far and are committed to continued innovation and collaboration with our partners in the United States.” The defense and security sector offers significant investment and export partnership opportunities between American and Qatar companies. Qatar has invested heavily in developing its defense industry and has made significant strides in becoming a regional hub for the sector. The country is looking to expand its defense capabilities and is investing in the development of defense technologies in the United States.
“The defense & security partnership between the State of Qatar and the United States is critical to global peace and security, especially within the Middle East region,” said Scott Taylor, USQBC President.
“As global and regional threats continue to evolve, USQBC is committed to supporting our members in exploring new opportunities and promoting greater commercial collaboration between our two nations.”
“Qatar is an incredibly important export destination for US-made defense & security products and services and is an increasingly large investor in US defense & security technologies,” said Mohammed Barakat, Managing Director and Treasurer of the Board of Directors at USQBC.“As the two countries continue to strengthen their security partnership, we expect even greater trade & investment in these areas.”
With the expansion of the Al-Udeid Air Base and the dynamic defense-related business between the US and Qatar, both countries have solidified their enduring trade and security partnership. Some of the major entities in the Qatari defense industry are Raytheon, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Barzan Aeronautical, Palantir, BAE Systems, and General Atomics.