The Gulf state has ordered 34 planes from the aerospace company in January.

Qatar University (QU) and American planemaker Boeing have agreed to lead a number of initiatives aimed at enhancing programmes with the university’s College of Engineering (QU-CENG).

The university and Boeing share a history of cooperations in the aviation industry, with engineers from QU contributing to the company’s major projects.

“The partnership will help prepare a capable Qatari generation who can respond to the future’s scientific challenges with confidence and competence,” said QU’s President Dr Hassan bin Rashid Al-Derham.

The developed programmes will enable students to contribute to the Gulf state’s efforts in expanding its aerospace sector by enabling them to access a variety of modern aerospace technologies.

“Science, mathematics and engineering programmes are amongst the main fields that QU-CENG is developing, in cooperation with many concerned institutions and in partnership with many concerned institutions and in partnership with actors in this field,” said Dr. Khaled Kamal Naji, Dean of QU-CENG.

BREAKING: Qatar Airways to purchase 34 777x cargo planes from Boeing

Boeing partnered with QU-CENG to provide students with technical support to build unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in 2016, for air quality monitoring. A total of 24 students from the Qatari institution built the UAVs.

In 2018, a total of 56 mechanical engineering undergraduate students from QU-CENG had worked on designs for a Qatar University-Boeing UAVs project. The company also sends students from Qatar to Renton in Washington, for a six month International Business Intern programme.

Boeing established its first office in Qatar in 2010. The office’s operations cover defence, space and security, global services, and commerical airplanes’ businesses.

Ties between the Gulf state and Boeing were strengthened in January this year when Qatar Airways signed an agreement to purchase some 50 airplanes of the planemaker’s 777x jets.

The agreement was signed during Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani’s visit to Washington, where he met with US President Joe Biden.

Through the deal, the Qatari airline became the launch customer of the new 777-8 Freighters. The main order entailed 34 jets with the option of acquiring 16 more, amounting to more than $20 billion at current list prices.

The first delivery of the new freighter is expected in 2027.

The agreement also came amidst amidst a widening dispute between Qatar Airways and French plane manufacturer Airbus over surface degradation of its A350’s. Citing safety risks, Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA) had grounded 21 A350 aircrafts.

The total grounded jets represent 40% of the flag carrier’s current fleet of A350s.

On 17 November last year, Qatar Airways became the launch customer for the Boeing 777-9 aircraft, the world’s largest twin-engine jet.