Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani travelled to Doha this week to attend a state dinner hosted by the Emir of Qatar in honour of US President Donald Trump. The event was held at Lusail Palace on Wednesday. It is the second time Ambani and Trump have met since Trump took the US Presidency in January 2025, as per a PTI report.
The agenda of the meeting has been officially revealed. As per sources, no formal business discussions were on schedule. However, Ambani’s presence at the high-profile diplomatic event highlights the importance of his long standing relationship with the Trump family. The meeting also underlines the strategic interest his business holds in the United States.
Ambani strong link with US and Qatar
Reliance Industries, which is in digital services, oil, gas, retail, and also has several commercial ties connected to US policy decisions. Last year, Reliance Industries received waivers from the United States for importing crude oil from Venezuela. However, the arrangement was later suspended in March after Trump implemented a 25% tariff on nations that are purchasing Venezuelan oil. The company also exports refined oils to the US and has partnerships with American tech firms like Google and Meta.
The Qatari link is equally crucial as the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), the country’s sovereign wealth fund, has invested around $1 billion in Ambani’s retail arm. This deal has further deepened the relationship between the Gulf economies and Reliance.
Earlier, Ambani and his wife had also attended US President Trump’s second inauguration in Washington DC. Both of them were also present in a select group invited to an exclusive-pre inauguration candlelight dinner which was attended by the Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha.
The Ambanis have maintained close ties with the Trump family for long. Mukesh Ambani also marked his presence during Ivanka Trump’s visit to Hyderabad for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in 2017 and in Trump’s 2020 state visit to India. Recently, Ivanka, Jared Kushner along with their daughter Arabella have attended the grand pre-wedding festivities of Anant Ambani in Jamnagar in March 2024.
(With inputs from PTI)