Qatar - Aviation & DefenseQatar - Defense Sales

This is a best prospect industry sector for this country. Includes a market overview and trade data.

Last Published: 8/15/2019

Overview

Aviation
Given Qatar Airways’ continued global growth strategy, especially with adding more direct routes to the United States (10 as of June 2018), aviation is an active industry in Qatar for U.S. suppliers. Boeing and Gulf Stream dominate the market as a result of the nature of their aircraft offerings, but other U.S. suppliers provide information technology, ground support equipment, and similar services to Qatar Airways Group and Hamad International Airport. Qatar Airways Group maintains one of the most rigorous approved vendor lists and processes in Qatar.

Defense
As Qatar manages one of the most ambitious military modernization programs in the world, the Qatar Armed Forces will continue to rely on foreign military and direct commercial sales. Major purchases since 2014 include Apache helicopters, Javelin missiles, Early Warning Radar, PAC 3 Patriot systems, and F-15 aircraft. The Qatari military is also sponsoring an initiative to create a vast network of military training facilities and programs focused on supporting their recent defense acquisitions.

Major Purchases:

Purchase/Project	Entity	US Supplier	Sale Amount & Date
PAC 3 Patriot Systems	Ministry of Defense, Qatar Amiri Air Defense Forces	Raytheon	$7.3B, December 2017
F-15 Fighter Aircraft (48)	Ministry of Defense, Qatar Amiri Air Forces	Boeing (Prime)	$11B, June 2017
100 Aircraft Order 30 787-9, 10 777-300ER LOI for 60 additional aircrafts	Qatar Airways	Boeing	$18.6B, October 2016
Early Warning Radar System	Ministry of Defense, Qatar Amiri Air Defense Forces	Raytheon	$1.6B, September 2016
Apache Helicopters (24)	Ministry of Defense, Qatar Amiri Air Forces	Boeing	$2.4B, March 2014
Javelin Missiles	Ministry of Defense, Qatar Amiri Land Forces	Lockheed Martin	$128M, 2014

The U.S. Military strategic partnership in Qatar has made great strides since 1992. Qatar has proven to be a reliable partner in the region and has hosted approximately ten thousand U.S. military troops and forward headquarters for U.S. Central and Air Force Central Commands at Al Udeid Air Base—the largest U.S. air base outside the continental U.S. The U.S. and Qatar also signed a Defense Cooperation Agreement in 1992, which was renewed in 2013 for an additional ten years.

Sub-Sector Best Prospects
Most commonly bought items include ballistic anti-missile systems and a new generation of warplanes. Military electronics and cyber systems, helicopters for special forces teams, light tactical armored vehicles with weapons systems, GBU-35 bunker-buster ammunition to be used against concrete-protected nuclear facilities, guided air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, Apache attack helicopters, and Patriot and Javelin air defense systems are also common purchases.

Best Opportunities:

Training and capacity building programs
Cyber Security and Electronic Warfare Systems
Anti-tank weapons systems
Integrated air and missile defense systems
Navy & Marine defense systems

Web Resources
Contact the Office of Military Cooperation Qatar of the U.S. Embassy in Doha.

Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.