Qatar Minister of Defense Signs Largest-Ever Defense Procurement Contract with USQBC Member Firms

On Monday, July 14th, 2014 Qatar’s Minister of Defense, Major General Hamid bin Ali al-Attiyah, met with the US Secretary of Defense, Mr. Chuck Hagel, and then signed four FMS Letters of Offer and Acceptance totaling more than eleven billion dollars. The contracts cover the procurement of a Patriot Air Defense Missile system, a squadron of Apache attack helicopters and the Javelin anti-tank missile system. USQBC member companies Raytheon, Boeing and Lockheed lead the ventures that produce the systems. News reports speculate on a follow-on fighter aircraft procurement for which the American F-15 and F-18’s are strong contenders. This marks the first major Qatari buy of American made military equipment, a turn from the European manufacturers who previously dominated the Qatari market, and the single largest military procurement in Qatari history. On the previous Saturday, Qatari Ambassador to the United States, Mohamed Jaham al-Kuwari, hosted an Iftar reception at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington D.C. for Minister al-Attiyah. Almost one hundred distinguished guests attended, including senior representatives of major US corporations, dozens of which are USQBC members, as well as a large delegation accompanying the Minister, two members of Congress, high ranking US military officials, and major media journalists and other representatives from news agencies such Al-Jazeera America.