LegiStorm

Summary:

The State of Qatar is a small, energy-rich emirate strategically located near the center of the Persian Gulf. Defense and diplomatic cooperation anchor close U.S.-Qatari relations: Qatar hosts thousands of U.S. troops, allows U.S. military use of Qatari facilities, and consults with U.S. officials on engagements with third parties in the Middle East region and beyond. In January 2022, President Joseph Biden and Emir Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani reaffirmed the multifaceted partnership between the United States and Qatar, and the Biden Administration designated Qatar as a Major Non-North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Ally. Qatar holds the third-largest proven natural gas reserves in the world, and is a major exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG): LNG revenues have fueled change in Qatar and enabled Qatar’s active foreign policies. Qatar’s fewer than 300,000 citizens enjoy one of the world’s highest per capita income levels, and, as with other Gulf states, a large expatriate population is critical to Qatar’s domestic economy. Since the mid-1990s, Qatari leaders have overseen rapid, expansive economic growth; transformed the global media environment through the founding of the Al Jazeera satellite networks; engaged in complex and at times controversial diplomacy with U.S. partners and adversaries; and pursued a course of limited domestic political liberalization. While Qatar supports many U.S. priorities, its leaders’ pursuit of Qatar’s sovereign interests and initiatives have presented both opportunities and challenges. Successive U.S. Administrations have sought to expand military, security, diplomatic, and economic cooperation with Qatar. Issues of immediate priority for the United States include coordinating with Qatar on negotiations to achieve a ceasefire and hostage-prisoner exchange in the Israel-Hamas war, sustaining and strengthening U.S.-Qatari defense cooperation, encouraging stability in Qatar’s relationships with fellow members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and other Arab states, and leveraging Qatar’s diplomatic engagement with the Taliban government in Afghanistan and with neighboring Iran. Prior to the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, Qatar had not joined the Abraham Accords between some Arab states and Israel but had instead conditioned normalization of relations with Israel on substantial progress toward resolving Israel-Palestinian disputes. Qatar may engage other Arab states to find a consensus position on future normalization. Qatar voted to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at the United Nations; stated its “respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity”; and called for a ceasefire and a peaceful resolution to the conflict in accordance with international law. Emir Tamim met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Qatar in June 2024. The Emir met Russian President Vladimir Putin in July 2024 in conjunction with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Kazakhstan; Qatar joined the SCO as a Dialogue Partner in 2023. Emir Tamim and People’s Republic of China (PRC) leader Xi Jinping met in Saudi Arabia in December 2022 in conjunction with the Arab States-China Summit and the GCC-China Summit. PRC state-owned firms have provided infrastructure and construction services for some major projects in Qatar. Qatar exports oil products and LNG to China. Since 2012, successive Administrations have proposed several major U.S. arms sales to Qatar, including items for air defense and missile defense. Qatar is investing in its military facilities to meet current and potential future needs, with planned Qatarfunded development projects at Al Udeid Air Base valued at $8.4 billion through 2033. Qatar’s constitution provides for elections to a consultative Shura Council. The government limits freedom of assembly, expression, religion, the press, and association. Labor and migrants’ rights concerns have long drawn public and official attention as Qatar builds out physical infrastructure. The U.S. State Department notes reports of human rights violations in Qatar and credits Qatar with taking some steps to improve human rights and labor conditions. In Congress, foreign affairs, defense, and intelligence committees monitor Qatar’s foreign and domestic policies, while Qatar’s resources, sovereign wealth, and associated geo-economic clout fuel congressional interest in Qatar’s energy and investment policies and in U.S.-Qatari trade and investment ties. In the 118 th Congress, a Congressional Caucus on QatariAmerican Strategic Relationships is active. Various Members of Congress and congressional staff frequently visit Qatar to attend conferences, consult with U.S. civilian and military personnel, and conduct oversight of U.S. regional policy and U.S. military operations.