Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel met with Qatari Interior Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani in Doha on Tuesday, with the two states advancing strategic interests.
During the meeting, two Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) were signed between Patel and Sheikh to strengthen bilateral security cooperation in the areas of training, information sharing and capacity building.
“This step underscores the depth of the strategic partnership between the State of Qatar and the friendly United States of America and strengthens our joint efforts to secure the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” said the post by Qatar’s interior minister, who will also become commander of internal security forces (Lekhwiya).
No further details were provided, but the meeting comes months before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is co-hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada.
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Security cooperation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Qatar, which has already hosted the FIFA World Cup, is providing security support and expertise for next year’s event — the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) signed a memorandum of understanding with Qatar’s Ministry of Interior in July of this year to strengthen security cooperation in preparation for the World Cup.
The July agreement, which was approved by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem in Washington DC, follows a statement of intent that Qatar and the US signed in 2024 regarding security cooperation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Subsequently, in August this year, a high-level delegation from the FBI’s Critical Incident Response Group (CIRG) visited Doha at the invitation of Qatar’s Safety and Security Committee (SSOC) to focus on securing the 2026 FIFA World Cup event.
“During their stay, the FBI delegation engaged with Qatari counterparts to exchange best practices, evaluate key legacy systems from the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup, and enhance technical cooperation to ensure safe and secure global sporting events,” the US Embassy in Qatar said in a statement on the visit at the time.
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As part of the visit, FBI agents toured Lusail Stadium and other security facilities such as the National Command Center (NCC) and the Tournament Command Center (TCC).
The FBI delegation also saw a live demonstration by Qatari security on the anti-drone scenario.
“This visit was part of a broader strategic partnership between the United States and Qatar to advance global security, stability, and cooperation through dialogue, innovation, and joint capacity building,” the U.S. Embassy said at the time.
Patel’s visit to Doha on Tuesday also comes just weeks after the Watan 2025 military exercise in the Persian Gulf country, where US security forces trained with Qatari forces in preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
