Emir of Qatar's First Official Visit to White House

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, the Emir of the State of Qatar, visited Washington, D.C. from February 24 to February 26, 2015. The Emir's first official visit included an exclusive meeting at the White House with President Barack Obama, events with members of Congress, including House Speaker John Boehner, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and United States Secretary of Homeland Security, Jeh Johnson. The Emir and his delegation also attended a reception hosted by the U.S.-Qatar Business Council and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where they engaged in discussions with other prominent political and business leaders. The delegation had a chance to converse about Qatar’s investments in the U.S., including the newly opened City Center DC and the opening of the Qatar Investment Authority's New York office in April. The reception provided a great forum for delving into Qatar-US partnerships regarding energy, finance, technology, infrastructure and other services. On February 26, the Emir attended a gathering with faculty and students at Georgetown University, where he elaborated on Qatar's plan for the 2022 World Cup games. Preceding his visit to Washington, D.C., the Emir placed an op-ed in The New York Times elaborating on Qatar's relationship with the US and their joint interest in stabilizing tensions in the Middle East. The Emir wrote, "We must work together to pull the Middle East back from the brink of collapse. This will require a bold commitment based on a long-term vision of justice, security and peace for all the people of the region. And we in Qatar are ready to do whatever it takes to help achieve this vision." Qatar's Ambassador to the US, Mohammed Jaham Al-Kuwari, wrote about the events in the Embassy's newsletter: "Throughout his visit, HH the Amir emphasized Qatar’s vision to work with the United States to strengthen and empower the entire Middle East region. He stressed the importance of providing education and economic opportunities to the region’s youth and instilling hope in the Arab world. The Amir spoke of how excited he was that Qatar will be hosting the World Cup 2022, which would bring pride and joy to the whole region." Read More