Hamas Backer Qatar Joins U.S. Visa Waiver Program

Latest Developments

The U.S. State Department and Department of Homeland Security admitted Qatar to the U.S. Visa Waiver Program on September 24, allowing the emirate’s 330,000 citizens to travel to the United States for up to 90 days without a visa (Qatar’s total population of just under 3.1 million is largely composed of disenfranchised migrant workers.) The emirate joined the southeast Asian country of Brunei as the second Muslim country to participate in the program. “Qatar’s fulfillment of the stringent security requirements to join the Visa Waiver Program will deepen our strategic partnership and enhance the flow of people and commerce between our two countries,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said that “Qatar’s participation in the program increases information sharing regarding one of the world’s busiest travel and transfer hubs, strengthening the security of the United States.”

Despite its close partnership with the United States, Qatar is a known host and supporter of Islamist organizations, including Hamas, the Taliban, and the Muslim Brotherhood.

Expert Analysis

“Homeland Security should not be granting favors to a regime that hosts Hamas and the Taliban. If you harbor and provide material support to foreign terrorist organizations and other designated terrorist entities, you should not qualify for the Visa Waiver Program.” — Richard Goldberg, FDD Senior Advisor

“For almost a year, Qatar has failed to broker a hostage deal in Gaza while continuing to host Hamas. Instead of rewarding Qatar by admitting it into the Visa Waiver Program, the Biden administration needs to get tough. That means exerting pressure on Doha to extradite Hamas leaders, assessing Qatar’s progress — or lack thereof — in combatting terror finance, and reviewing Qatar’s Major Non-NATO Ally status.” — Natalie Ecanow, FDD Research Analyst

Qatar and Hamas

Qatar sided with Hamas and endorsed its takeover of Gaza in 2007. Since then, Doha has provided political and financial assistance to the Islamist group, pumping at least $1.8 billion into Gaza’s Hamas-run government. In 2012, Hamas opened a political office in Doha, where several of its senior leaders live in luxury. Meanwhile, Qatar remains a permissive jurisdiction for terror financiers. In June 2017, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and Egypt severed ties with Qatar and imposed a blockade on the Gulf nation, citing Qatar’s relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist group that gave rise to Hamas.

Despite enabling Hamas and holding “Israel alone responsible” for Hamas’s October 7 terrorist attack, Qatar has positioned itself as a mediator between Hamas and Israel with the assent of the United States. On September 24, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani falsely accused Israel of “genocide” and described the late Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh as a legitimate political leader in a speech before the United Nations General Assembly.

U.S.-Qatar Relationship

President Joe Biden designated Qatar as a Major Non-NATO Ally in 2022. Qatar also serves as a strategic hub for U.S. military operations in the Persian Gulf region, hosting al-Udeid Air Force Base — the largest U.S. base in the region. However, since October 7, several U.S. lawmakers have encouraged the Biden administration to downgrade U.S.-Qatar relations given Doha’s support for Hamas. On May 1, Reps. Ann Wagner (R-MO) and Jared Golden (D-ME) introduced the bipartisan Reviewing Qatar’s Major Non-NATO Ally Status Act. A companion bill was introduced in the Senate on April 10 by Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC).

U.S. concern over Qatar’s relationship with Hamas is also reflected in the Senate Armed Services Committee’s draft of the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which was released on July 9. Specifically, section 1287 of the bill would require the secretary of defense to “submit a report and provide a briefing to the congressional defense committees on the operational value of al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, taking into consideration the relationship of the Government of Qatar with Hamas and other terrorist organizations.”

Related Analysis

“10 Things to Know About Hamas and Qatar,” FDD Insight

“Citing Hamas Links, Draft Defense Bill Pushes for Review of U.S.-Qatar Relations,” FDD Flash Brief

“Is Qatar an ally or an enemy in the fight against terror finance?” by Natalie Ecanow

“Qatar Must Extradite a Hamas Terrorist,” by Jonathan Schanzer and Natalie Ecanow