US Considers Talks about Qatar’s Attempt to Expand Al-Udeid Airbase ‘Premature’

FILE PHOTO: A US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber arrives at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar April 9, 2016. REUTERS/US Air Force/Tech
FILE PHOTO: A US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber arrives at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar April 9, 2016. REUTERS/US Air Force/Tech
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US Considers Talks about Qatar’s Attempt to Expand Al-Udeid Airbase ‘Premature’

FILE PHOTO: A US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber arrives at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar April 9, 2016. REUTERS/US Air Force/Tech
FILE PHOTO: A US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber arrives at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar April 9, 2016. REUTERS/US Air Force/Tech

Despite efforts by the Qatari authorities to extend the contract of Al-Udeid military base beyond 2023, and the moves by the US Congress to transfer it to a different location, the Pentagon said that it was too early to discuss the issue, underlining the need to make appropriate planning for the future phase.
 
In a statement to Asharq Al-Awsat, Commander Rebecca Rebarich, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said on Tuesday that it was too early to discuss aspects of expanding the US Air Force base in Qatar, asserting that the US Army was working with the Qatari Ministry of Defense on more details and proposals to ensure that any new facilities are used effectively.
 
Doha said on Tuesday it was discussing with the United States the possibility to transform Al-Udeid to a permanent base, according to Qatar News Agency (QNA).
 
“The State of Qatar, along with its strategic US ally, is working on drawing up a roadmap for the future of bilateral relations, including the addition of Al-Udeid Air Base to the list of US permanent military bases,” QNA said.
 
The base comprises around 10,000 US troops and was used in the invasion of Iraq. Strikes against Syria and Iraq are also carried out through that base. Qatar has a second US military base, used by the US Central Command to conduct military operations.
 
Meanwhile, sources in the US Congress told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the House of Representatives was actually studying a number of requests to transfer of Al-Udeid base from Doha to another location outside Qatar. The agreement between the two sides on hosting the base ends in 2023, as it was renewed in December 2013 for ten years.



MWL Welcomes UK’s Announcement to Recognize State of Palestine, Support Two-State Solution

A demonstrator holds a Palestinian flag during an "Act NOW against Genocide in Gaza" protest, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Valletta, Malta, July 29, 2025. (Reuters)
A demonstrator holds a Palestinian flag during an "Act NOW against Genocide in Gaza" protest, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Valletta, Malta, July 29, 2025. (Reuters)
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MWL Welcomes UK’s Announcement to Recognize State of Palestine, Support Two-State Solution

A demonstrator holds a Palestinian flag during an "Act NOW against Genocide in Gaza" protest, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Valletta, Malta, July 29, 2025. (Reuters)
A demonstrator holds a Palestinian flag during an "Act NOW against Genocide in Gaza" protest, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Valletta, Malta, July 29, 2025. (Reuters)

The Muslim World League (MWL) welcomed on Tuesday the United Kingdom’s announcement of its intention to recognize the State of Palestine and its support for the two-state solution.

MWL’s General Secretariat, MWL Secretary-General and Chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scholars Sheikh Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa praised the significant announcement, saying it represents the “correct and responsible stance aligned with the historical and legal rights of the Palestinian people.”

“It is the only path toward achieving a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace in the region,” he said in a statement.

“It is the responsibility of all countries around the world to stand on the right side of history by adopting a principled and legitimate position in support of justice and international legitimacy, and to bring an end to this painful humanitarian tragedy and its dangerous repercussions on the region, the international community, and the world at large,” he urged.

He also emphasized the MWL and peoples of the Islamic world’s appreciation for Saudi Arabia’s steadfast position on the Palestinian cause, particularly the tireless and central efforts led by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and closely followed up by Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

These efforts include the international alliance launched by the Kingdom to implement the two-state solution, its presidency of the Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee, and its initiative, in partnership with France, to convene the High-Level International Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution.