Mukesh Ambani Meets US President Donald Trump In Doha

Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries, on Wednesday met US President Donald Trump and the Emir of Qatar in Doha.

This is Ambani's second meeting with the US President. In January, he along with his wife Nita Ambani had attended Trump's inauguration in Washington.

In a video shared on ANI's X account, Asia's richest man is seen shaking hands with Trump and having a quick chat before going to the Lusail Palace. In the clip, he is also seen greeting Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Also, Ambani is seen having a good time talking to the US Secretary of Commerce Steve Lutnick.

Though business discussions were off the table during the meeting, Ambani's oil-to-retail conglomerate, Reliance Industries, has significant business interests closely linked to U.S. policy decisions.

It may be recalled that Reliance had secured US waivers to resume Venezuelan crude oil imports-a trade halted in March after President Trump imposed a 25% tariff on countries purchasing oil from the sanctioned South American nation. Additionally, Reliance supplies the American market with fuels like gasoline, some of which is refined from Russian crude.

Beyond energy, U.S. tech giants Google and Meta hold stakes in Ambani's digital ventures, while Qatar's sovereign wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), has invested $1 billion in his retail business.

Ambanis' Ties With Trumps

The Ambanis share a longstanding relationship with the Trump family. In 2017, Mukesh Ambani attended the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Hyderabad, where Ivanka Trump, then a White House advisor, was a key speaker. He was also present during President Trump's 2020 state visit to India.

The connection was further evident in March 2024, when Ivanka Trump, her husband Jared Kushner, and their daughter Arabella Rose attended the wedding celebrations of Ambani's youngest son, Anant, in Gujarat.

Meanwhile, during his recent Middle East tour, Trump urged Qatar to leverage its influence over Iran to curb its nuclear program. The visit also saw major business agreements, including a 600 billion Saudi pledge for US investments,142 billion in arms sales, and a Qatar Airways deal for up to 210 Boeing jets.

Trump has prioritized strengthening Gulf alliances, with potential AI and semiconductor investments positioning the region as a third hub in the global tech race.

With inputs from agencies.