A spokesman for the US State Department refused to comment on the delay in deciding on Qatar's requests to purchase drones from the United States, according to a statement to the Wall Street Journal.
The newspaper suggested that this issue would be one of the priorities of the agenda of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, during his visit to the White House scheduled for next month, noting that the Qatari government, which helped evacuate tens of thousands of Afghans in August, expressed its “frustration” with the administration Biden for being slow in responding to her request.
The State Department spokesman noted, "Washington's long-standing policy is not to publicly comment on proposed defense sales or transfers until they are formally notified to Congress."
He said the Biden administration is moving forward with the proposed deals, with ongoing reviews "to ensure we have a clear mutual understanding regarding the UAE's commitments and procedures before, during and after delivery."
The government of Qatar submitted a formal request more than a year ago to purchase four armed MQ-9B drones, according to the “Wall Street Journal,” which indicated that “the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet acted on the Qatari request and its officials refused to disclose the reason.” ".
The US State Department oversees foreign military sales.
A Qatari official told the American newspaper: “The frustration from our point of view is that there is no clear indication of the reason for the delay in our request,” adding that “the recent evacuations in Afghanistan prove that Qatar is always ready to support its allies and for the purposes of security and stability.”
Qatar's discontent comes as the United States tries to maintain influence in the Gulf region while reducing military forces and capabilities there, amid mounting concerns in Washington about China's influence in the region.
What added to the "frustration" of the Qataris, according to the newspaper, was that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs approved similar requests from other allies, including the United Arab Emirates.
The newspaper quoted Qatari officials that they will "use drones to conduct surveillance of the vast natural gas facilities to prevent terrorist activity and in other areas to monitor the threats posed by terrorists in the region."
Qatar will host the FIFA World Cup next year, which Qatari officials believe requires increased vigilance against terrorist activities.
Qatari and US officials believe that armed drones, valued at about $600 million, will give the Qataris a stronger defense capability in the region.
Qatar is also seeking to buy American F-35 stealth fighters in a separate order, while the American approval to sell the same planes to the United Arab Emirates came in the last days of the administration of former US President Donald Trump, after Abu Dhabi agreed to Normalization of relations with Israel, although the actual transfer of these aircraft may extend for years.
While relations between the United States and Qatar are generally good, American officials have long expressed concerns about the Gulf country's ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, and Turkey's anti-Western president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In the past, Washington has accused Qatar of pursuing lax policies to combat the financing of terrorist groups, charges Doha has denied.
Qatar hosts a large US air base, Al Udeid, which the United States uses extensively for its operations in the region, including the Joint Air Operations Center, but does not use for drone operations, which largely come from Al Dhafra Air Base. in the United Arab Emirates.
Qatar is the second largest purchaser of US military equipment through Washington's Foreign Military Sales program, after Saudi Arabia, according to the US State Department, with its proposed purchases amounting to more than $26 billion.
The ministry notes that some of the sales include integrated air and missile defense systems, radars and an advanced F-15QA fighter plane.
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