Donald Trump's first look at Qatar: Air Force One gets escort from key ally in the skies

Live updates: Follow the latest on Trump's Gulf trip

Donald Trump flew into Qatar on Wednesday flanked by F-15 warplanes, underscoring a key military alliance between the US and the Gulf state.

The American-made fighter jets provided an honorary escort to Air Force One as the presidential jet reached Doha. “What a view,” said Trump aide Margo Martin, who shared footage of the plane arriving in Qatar.

Mr Trump is due to visit a joint airbase, Al Udeid, as part of his visit. Tucked away in the desert south-west of Doha, Al Udeid has evolved into one of the most vital US military hubs in the world.

With more than $8 billion invested by Qatar since 2003, the airbase now hosts a cluster of US and coalition command structures and aircraft.

Air Force One arrived in Doha on Wednesday on the second leg of Mr Trump's Gulf tour. AP

Personnel and aircraft

Al Udeid Air Base, about 30km south-west of Doha, covers 12.3 square kilometres.

It features two runways, each 3,750 metres in length, capable of accommodating every aircraft in the US arsenal, from B-52 bombers to C-17 transport planes.

The base hosts more than 10,000 US military personnel, making it the largest American military installation in the Middle East.

The base features two runways, each 3,750 metres in length. US Air Force

It supports a diverse fleet of more than 90 combat and support aircraft, including B-52 Stratofortress bombers, KC-135 refuelling tankers, C-17 Globemasters and MQ-9 Reaper drones.

Its infrastructure includes advanced command-and-control centres, aircraft maintenance and accommodation to support sustained, high-tempo operations across several domains.

Nerve centre

Al Udeid is home to the forward headquarters of US Central Command, US Air Force Central Command and US Special Operations Central Command. It also houses the Combined Air Operations Centre, which co-ordinates all American and allied air activity across the region, from Iraq and Syria to the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz.

This concentration of command infrastructure makes it one of the most strategically important US bases worldwide, enabling real-time control of missions spanning dozens of countries.

Since 2003, Qatar has contributed more than $8 billion to build and expand Al Udeid. These upgrades have transformed it from a temporary desert outpost into a permanent strategic asset.

Legacy from Afghanistan to Iraq

Al Udeid’s operational legacy began with Operation Enduring Freedom after the 9/11 attacks, when it served as a critical launch pad for air strikes and intelligence missions over Afghanistan.

Two years later, during the US-led invasion of Iraq, the US moved its Combined Air Operations Centre from Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia to Al Udeid.

In August 2021, when US forces started evacuating civilians from Kabul, Al Udeid once again became indispensable. It was the main logistical and operational base during the largest evacuation in US military history.

Whether conducting surveillance missions over Syria or co-ordinating air cover in Iraq, nearly every significant US military operation in the region over the past two decades has relied on this base.

Al Udeid Air Base spans an area of about 12.3 square kilometres. AFP

The US military at Al Udeid orchestrates the air campaign against ISIS, with its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance divisions playing a central role in identifying targets.

Looking to the future

In 2020, Al Udeid became the first base in the Middle East to host deployed personnel from the newly formed US Space Force.

This marked an expansion of the base’s role from traditional air operations into emerging domains such as space and cyber warfare.

As military strategy increasingly shifts towards space-based surveillance, satellite co-ordination and secure digital communications, Al Udeid is expected to play a growing role in that domain.

Top defence partner

Beyond its hosting of Al Udeid, Qatar is the second-largest partner globally under the US Foreign Military Sales programme, with more than $26 billion in active agreements.

Major purchases include F-15QA fighter jets (the most advanced F-15 variant), Patriot and Nasams air defence systems, AH-64E Apache helicopters and AN/FPS-132 early-warning radar systems.

Since 2016, the US has also authorised more than $2.8 billion in direct commercial defence exports to Qatar. These include aircraft systems, special operations training and night-vision technology.

The two countries are bound by security agreements, covering intelligence-sharing, logistics and maritime co-operation.

Quick pearls of wisdom

Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”

Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”

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Gender equality in the workplace still 200 years away

It will take centuries to achieve gender parity in workplaces around the globe, according to a December report from the World Economic Forum.

The WEF study said there had been some improvements in wage equality in 2018 compared to 2017, when the global gender gap widened for the first time in a decade.

But it warned that these were offset by declining representation of women in politics, coupled with greater inequality in their access to health and education.

At current rates, the global gender gap across a range of areas will not close for another 108 years, while it is expected to take 202 years to close the workplace gap, WEF found.

The Geneva-based organisation's annual report tracked disparities between the sexes in 149 countries across four areas: education, health, economic opportunity and political empowerment.

After years of advances in education, health and political representation, women registered setbacks in all three areas this year, WEF said.

Only in the area of economic opportunity did the gender gap narrow somewhat, although there is not much to celebrate, with the global wage gap narrowing to nearly 51 per cent.

And the number of women in leadership roles has risen to 34 per cent globally, WEF said.

At the same time, the report showed there are now proportionately fewer women than men participating in the workforce, suggesting that automation is having a disproportionate impact on jobs traditionally performed by women.

And women are significantly under-represented in growing areas of employment that require science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills, WEF said.

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