The White House said US President Donald Trump had secured deals totalling more than US$243.5 billion with Qatar, laying the groundwork for a bigger US$1.2 trillion economic pledge with the tiny Gulf country.
“The landmark deals celebrated today will drive innovation and prosperity for generations, bolster American manufacturing and technological leadership, and put America on the path to a new Golden Age,” the White House said.
The announcement came on the second leg of Trump’s swing through the Middle East, a day after the president touted some US$600 billion in investments by Saudi Arabia in US manufacturing, products and services.
Trump has focused much of his energy on the trip in securing investment dollars, while praising Gulf states for seeking a deeper partnership with the US.
Trump’s take so far has fallen short of his ambitions for an even bigger haul; the president had floated the possibility of securing US$1 trillion in investment pledges from Saudi companies and on Tuesday said the two nations would work toward that goal.
Earlier on Wednesday, the White House announced that Qatar Airways had signed a US$96 billion plan to acquire as many as 210 Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliner and 777X aircraft. The White House cast the buy as the largest-ever widebody order and the largest-ever for the 787s.
