Q Life Magazine Q Magazine (US) December 2015 | Page 74
| Issue 1
works closely with the U.S. as well as other Arab nations. Qatar is home
to the Al-Udeid Air Base, a key operational center for U.S. forces in the
region. In December 2013, the two countries signed a new ten-year defense
cooperation agreement, which was followed by an agreement for an
$11 billion arms sale.
On the humanitarian front, following the damage inflicted by Hurricane
Katrina in 2005, Qatar provided $100 million in direct assistance to the
Gulf region of the United States. The gift helped 18 different recovery
projects benefiting thousands of people. In addition to the work around
Hurricane Katrina, the Embassy offers ongoing support to numerous
initiatives and organizations across the U.S., covering arts and culture,
education, humanitarian aid, and sports and health.
Qatar places great emphasis on education. Doha’s expansive Education
City is home to branch campuses of six prestigious American universities:
Carnegie Mellon, Georgetown, Northwestern, Texas A&M, Virginia
Commonwealth and Cornell. All of the institutions offer degree programs
identical to those on their U.S. campuses, and attract students from America
and Qatar, as well as the broader Middle East and the rest of the world. The
presence of American universities in Doha has brought a culturally rich and
diverse community to Qatar, and has augmented ties to the United States.
Qatar greatly values its relationship with the United States and looks
forward to building it further in years to come.
74