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.



Saudi FM Highlights Kingdom's Firm Support for Palestinian Peace through Two-State Solution Conference

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah
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Saudi FM Highlights Kingdom's Firm Support for Palestinian Peace through Two-State Solution Conference

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah affirmed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s joint presidency—alongside the French Republic—of the High-Level International Conference on “The Peaceful Settlement of the Palestinian Question and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution” reflects the Kingdom’s firm and longstanding stance on the Palestinian cause.

He emphasized Saudi Arabia’s continued support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and its efforts to achieve a just and comprehensive peace that guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency, Prince Faisal said the Kingdom, under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and with the close follow-up of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, is fully committed to establishing a just peace in the Middle East.

Guided by its steadfast principles, the Kingdom continues to promote international peace and security through diplomatic efforts, aiming to end the suffering of the Palestinian people and break the cycle of violence stemming from the ongoing conflict with the Israeli occupation, which has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of innocent civilians and fueled hatred across the region and beyond.

He added that, from this standpoint, the Kingdom will co-chair the high-level international conference scheduled this week at the United Nations headquarters in New York, with wide international participation. The conference aims to advance the implementation of relevant UN resolutions calling for the establishment of two states, enabling the Palestinian people to exercise their right to an independent state and thereby promoting peace, stability, development, and prosperity throughout the region.

Prince Faisal further highlighted that the conference supports the broader efforts of the Global Alliance for Implementation of the Two-State Solution—an initiative launched in September 2024 by Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom of Norway, and the European Union.

It also builds on the ongoing work of the joint Arab-Islamic ministerial committee, which continues to strive for an end to the suffering of the Palestinian people, the restoration of their legitimate rights, and the achievement of a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in the Middle East.