![Embassyقs National Day celebration marks 50 years of Qatar-US partnership](/articles/embassyks-national-day-celebration-marks-50-years-of-qatar-us-partnership.jpg)
US ambassador to Qatar Timmy Davis welcomed guests of honour HE Sheikh Mohamed bin Hamad bin Qassim al-Abdullah al-Thani, Minister of Commerce and Industry; HE Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti, Minister of Transport; HE Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Kawari, State Minister; ambassador Ibrahim Yousef Fakhroo, director of the Protocol Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA); and ambassador Dr Essa al-Mannai, director of American Affairs at the MoFA.
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A view of the gathering
More than 570 Qatari officials, foreign dignitaries and leaders from business, academia and civil society gathered to celebrate the United States’ independence.
Ambassador Davis’s speech highlighted the strength of the US-Qatar bilateral relationship over the course of the last 50 years, and the shared values of security, prosperity and partnership.
“The US-Qatar relationship has thrived for over 50 years. There are six US universities with campuses in Doha, and many Qataris have studied in the United States. We have seen extraordinary growth in education co-operation over the last decade,” said Davis.
Hundreds of Qataris have visited the US on its world-renowned International Visitor Leadership Programme, including programmes this year on countering trafficking in persons, volunteerism and women in sports. Qatar's 2021 Year of Culture featured the US and showcased a year’s worth of activities in both countries to promote trade, travel, higher learning and the arts. As Qatar prepares for the upcoming men’s FIFA World Cup 2022, joint training exercises and increased information sharing are helping enable a secure environment for the tournament and beyond, the embassy said in a statement.
Ambassador Davis also noted, “It has been an impressive year for Qatar,” referring to accomplishments such as supporting the Afghanistan evacuation - the largest airlift evacuation in US history, and the exciting upcoming men’s FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
To learn more about the US National Day celebration and other US embassy activities, one can follow the mission on Facebook and Instagram @USEmbassyDoha and on Twitter @USEmbassyDoha and @USAmbQatar