United States President Joe Biden has officially designated Qatar as a major non-NATO ally (MNNA) of the United States in March 2022.
Construction work for the new United States embassy has officially begun in Doha.
According to a top US official, the planned new building incorporates a variety of energy-saving techniques and addresses environmental responsibility with a design that evokes rich Qatari culture and American ideals.
The new US Embassy will be located on a 12 acre property in a new diplomatic zone in Doha’s Wadi al Banat. It will facilitate the continuous growth of diplomatic, security, and commercial relations between the US and Qatar.
It will also provide safe, secure, functional, and resilient facilities to enable the continuous growth of US–Qatari diplomatic, security, and commercial relations. The project’s environmentally friendly design, construction, and operations will showcase the finest of American architecture, engineering, and construction.
“Construction of the new embassy building in this vibrant city represents our government’s long term commitment to the relationship with the people of Qatar and similarly the diplomatic investment in this region,” said Brian P McKeon, the US Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources.
Stone-clad arcades, evocative of old souqs, connect buildings with shaded paths and define outdoor court, plaza, and garden areas.
The permanent art collection, selected by OBO’s Office of Art in Embassies, will comprise works in a range of mediums, such as painting, photography, textiles, and sculpture, by both US and Qatari artists, and will aim to foster a discourse of shared values between the two nations’ people.
The new diplomatic compound will be environmentally sustainable, in keeping with US sustainability aims as well as Qatar’s National Vision 2030.
“The design you see before you meet rigorous energy-saving and sustainability goals and will take advantage of the Gulf region’s climate to reduce energy usage. Our priority on energy-savings and sustainability will mean that the new embassy will reduce its environmental impact while enhancing the space around it,” said the US Charge d’Affaires for Afghanistan, Ian McCary.
The design architect is Richard Kennedy Architects of Phoenix, Arizona, the Design/Build contractor is American International Contractors Inc, Special Projects of McLean, Virginia, and the Architect of Record is KCCT of Washington.
Qatar and the United States established diplomatic ties in 1972, and the embassy has been at the present Al Luqtha site for the past 20 years. The new facility will be completed in 2026.
In March, US President Joe Biden nominated Timmy T Davis as the new US ambassador to Qatar.
The candidate is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of counsellor who previously served as the Secretary of State’s executive assistant.
Davis is a Virginia native who knows Arabic and Spanish.
Qatar and US relations
On March 10, the United States named Qatar as a major non-NATO ally following the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani’s visit to Washington in January.
After Kuwait and Bahrain, Qatar is now the third GCC country to become a key non-NATO ally of the United States.
Qatar has benefited from its role as a mediator for US involvement in a number of regional conflicts, including recent escalations in Afghanistan and the Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
