Qatar signs agreement with US for DOD activities at Al Udeid Air Base

Qatar’s Ministry of Defense gave its support to the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) regarding DOD activities at Al Udeid Air Base (AUAB).

The agreement was signed this week during the U.S.-Qatar Strategic Dialogue in Doha, Qatar. The memorandum of understanding (MOU) will help promote interoperability, support regional stability, and reaffirm the U.S.-Qatar defense relationship. It also shows Qatar’s commitment to support sustainment costs and future infrastructure costs at AUAB.

The agreement was signed by Jennifer Zakriski, principal director for middle east policy in the Office of the U.S. Secretary of Defense, and Brigadier General Fahad al-Sulaiti, Director of the International Military Cooperation Authority, General Headquarters, Qatar Armed Forces signed the MOU. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs of Qatar, and U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo witnessed the signing ceremony.

The U.S. and Qatari delegations hailed the many achievements in the bilateral military relationship in the past year, including joint exercises, U.S. ship visits to Doha, and the implementation of standard operating procedures designed to facilitate customs, immigration, and operational processes that will deepen the security and military partnership.

The AUAB is the largest U.S. military installation in the Middle East with over 11,000 U.S. and Coalition service members. AUAB has served as the primary staging ground for most air operations in the campaign to defeat ISIS. The U.S. and the State of Qatar have had a longstanding military relationship, which is guided by shared goals to combat terrorism, deter criminality in the Arabian Gulf and promote regional security and stability.