The U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East tour featured a key stop in Qatar, focusing on strengthening the U.S.-Qatar trade and defense ties. A state dinner at Doha’s Lusail Palace highlighted the visit, where discussions centered on significant economic agreements.
A major deal involved Qatar Airways’ purchase of Boeing aircraft, touted as a win for American industry and job creation.
Key American business leaders attended, including representatives from Boeing, GE Aerospace, Raytheon (an RTX business), Quantinuum and Tesla’s Elon Musk. These companies were central to deals aimed at enhancing both economic and defense partnerships. Agreements spanned aviation, defense technology, and emerging technologies, reflecting Trump’s “dealmaker” approach to foreign policy and emphasizing tangible U.S. economic benefits.
Key figure from Thailand to attend the dinner was Mr. Sarath Ratanavadi, a Thai billionaire and the CEO of Gulf Development Public Company Limited (SET: GULF).
Mr. Sarath revealed after attending the event that he had the opportunity to meet and discuss with President Trump and several cabinet ministers regarding cooperation between Thailand and the United States on the energy sector. The CEO said that he received positive signals from the U.S., demonstrating their readiness to welcome investments from Thailand.
