An MQ-9B drone is displayed at the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Grounds in Yuma, Ariz., in 2019. The U.S. gave Qatar the green light to buy eight of the drones and related equipment as part of a deal worth nearly $2 billion, the State Department said March 26, 2025. (Colton Brownlee/U.S. Marine Corps)
The State Department has approved the potential sale of MQ-9B drones to Qatar, advancing a deal with a key Middle East ally amid ongoing fighting between U.S. forces and Houthi militants in the region.
Qatar, home to the largest U.S. military installation in the Middle East, has requested to buy eight unmanned aircraft in addition to hundreds of bombs, missiles and related equipment for a total of $1.96 billion, the department said in a statement Wednesday.
The principal contractors are General Atomics Aeronautical, Lockheed Martin, RTX and Boeing.
Qatari officials first made the request to purchase the advanced drones in 2020 but have faced delays despite providing support for the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and serving as a conduit for talks with Iran and Hamas.
The U.S. had long been wary of upsetting the balance of power in the region. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, both of which are U.S. military partners, have often had a contentious relationship over the past decade with Qatar.
The MQ-9B, known as the SkyGuardian, is a long-range surveillance drone that can stay in the air for more than 40 hours, according to General Atomics Aeronautical.
The approval of the arms sale by the administration of President Donald Trump comes this week as U.S. forces continue their operation against the Houthis in Yemen.
U.S. Central Command launched a large-scale offensive against the Iran-backed group March 15 in response to threats against commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
Al Udeid Air Base, located just south of the capital city of Doha, serves as the forward headquarters for U.S. Central Command and Air Forces Central Command.
The deal will help to “improve the security of a friendly country that continues to be an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East,” the State Department said.
