US-Qatar Business Council

What US-Qatar Business Council does

The US-Qatar Business Council (USQBC) is a Washington, DC-based non-profit, private sector organization that serves as the primary bilateral forum for trade and investment between the United States and the State of Qatar. Founded to support a 50+ year US-Qatar strategic partnership (firmographic founding 1996; bilateral diplomatic relations from 1972), it convenes American and Qatari companies through tiered annual memberships — Oryx (formerly Founding), Falcon (formerly Executive), and Dhow — and through events, delegation visits, and regional activations such as the SelectLA Investment Summit. Its roughly 13-person staff supports authentication services, market intelligence publications (50 Years of Partnership, 1001 Stars Qatar 2025, Qatar Sustainability Report), and bilateral advocacy spanning energy, aerospace and defense, financial services, and technology sectors.

The organization's core technological asset is the USQBC Business Portal, a web-based platform covering every US state and the Qatar market. The portal packages the Qatar Starter Kit and US Starter Kit, business guides, curated market data, and member resources as the first step for companies exploring cross-border activity between the two countries. Technology is positioned as an enablement layer over an otherwise relationship-driven service: no API, SDK, MCP, or AI/ML components are disclosed, and product differentiation rests on the uniqueness of the curated bilateral coverage rather than on proprietary software capability.

USQBC's commercial engine is recurring annual membership dues across the three tiers, supplemented by authentication fees, event sponsorship (e.g., Visit Qatar, Excelerate Energy), and publication distribution. The publicly visible member roster of roughly 30+ named multinationals — including ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, QatarEnergy, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, RTX, Palantir, Visa, MetLife, Qatar National Bank, and the Investment Promotion Agency Qatar — anchors the revenue base. Customer segments span American companies seeking Qatar market entry, Qatari entities investing in the US, and government stakeholders on both sides; the council frames its value proposition around a $185 billion bilateral business relationship, 850+ US companies operating in Qatar, and $11.5B in 2024 US-Qatar trade.

Name

US-Qatar Business Council

Legal name

US-Qatar Business Council

Website

https://usqbc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The US-Qatar Business Council (USQBC) is a Washington, DC-based non-profit membership organization that facilitates trade and investment between the United States and Qatar through tiered memberships, the USQBC Business Portal, and events for enterprise members across energy, aerospace, finance, and technology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Committees, Working Groups & Expert Panels (BPADANAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Meeting & Conference Planning & Coordination (HSACADAA)

Keywords

• Bilateral trade facilitation
• Business council services
• Trade association memberships
• US-Qatar investment promotion
• Market entry advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: As a non-profit private sector organization, USQBC generates revenue through membership fees at various tiers (Oryx, Falcon, and Dhow members). Membership provides access to advisory services, networking opportunities, and business facilitation between US and Qatar.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

US-Qatar Business Council (USQBC) is a non-profit trade association that facilitates US-Qatar bilateral business by offering paid corporate memberships, market-entry toolkits (a Qatar Starter Kit and a US Starter Kit), a digital Business Portal for member resources, authentication services (including letters of invitation) to support business travel, and networking/engagement events for member firms. Its deliverables are advisory, facilitation, and convening services rather than physical goods or software products.

Product overview

The US-Qatar Business Council operates as a non-profit organization providing a unified platform and suite of services for US-Qatar bilateral business engagement. Its core offering is the USQBC Business Portal, complemented by educational resources (Qatar Starter Kit and US Starter Kit), membership and advisory services, authentication services, and networking/events programs. The organization connects American companies with the Qatar market and facilitates trade and investment between the two countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• USQBC Business Portal: A one-of-a-kind platform covering every US state and the Qatar market to help companies do business between the two countries.

Products and services

• Corporate Membership Tiered paid corporate membership (Oryx, Falcon, Dhow tiers) that gives companies access to USQBC's Business Portal, networking events, research, and government/stakeholder facilitation. Designed for multinational firms with US-Qatar commercial interests.
• Business Portal Online member portal that hosts USQBC's resources, market intelligence, and member-only content for corporate members conducting US-Qatar business.
• Qatar Starter Kit Information toolkit that orients US companies to the Qatari market, providing entry-level guidance for firms seeking to establish or expand a Qatar presence.
• US Starter Kit Information toolkit that orients Qatari companies to the US market, providing entry-level guidance for firms seeking to establish or expand a US presence.
• Authentication Services Service for member companies that supports document authentication (e.g., letters of invitation) used to facilitate business travel and administrative processes between the US and Qatar.

Quantifiable outcome

• 850+ US companies facilitated in Qatar market
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers32 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered key partner.

• Visit Qatarkey partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 May 2026Visit Qatar is a key partner and event sponsor for USQBC activities. They co-sponsored the Los Angeles Business Reception alongside Excelerate Energy, supporting USQBC's mission and enabling impactful engagements that advance US-Qatar economic ties.
• Excelerate Energykey partnerGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 May 2026Excelerate Energy is an Oryx Member (formerly Founding member) and event sponsor for USQBC. They support USQBC's mission and participate in engagements such as the Los Angeles Business Reception on the sidelines of SelectLA.
• SelectUSA Investment Summitkey partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSQBC participates in SelectLA, a regional activation of the SelectUSA Investment Summit, one of the largest regional business development events. This partnership brings together senior executives, state and city representatives, and international partners.
• SelectLAkey partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelectLA is the largest regional activation of SelectUSA Investment Summit on the West Coast. USQBC hosts business receptions on the sidelines of SelectLA to showcase investment opportunities and advance US-Qatar economic dialogue.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• US-India Business Council: Bilateral business council under the US Chamber of Commerce focused on US-India commercial engagement. Similar tiered membership, C-suite events, and policy advocacy model, though at materially larger scale.
• US-UAE Business Council: Bilateral membership organization facilitating trade and investment between US and UAE companies. Highly comparable in mandate, tiered membership structure, and Washington, DC location; both serve as the primary private-sector bridge for Gulf-state business engagement with US corporates.
• British-Qatari Business Council: UK counterpart to USQBC promoting UK-Qatar trade and investment with comparable mission, events, and member-driven structure. Direct substitute service offering for Qatari firms evaluating Western markets.
• National Council of US-Arab Chambers of Commerce: Umbrella body for bilateral US-Arab chambers of commerce, with very similar mission of facilitating US-Middle East business ties. Comparable member base, event programming, and authentication/advocacy services for cross-border deal flow.
• US-Saudi Arabian Business Council: Bilateral private-sector council promoting US-Saudi trade and investment, headquartered in Washington and Houston. Near-identical operating model to USQBC with energy-major members and similar convening role.

Broad incumbents

• Council of the Americas: Western Hemisphere-focused business and policy organization with similar membership model and convening role. Comparable in mission of connecting corporate leaders with cross-border opportunities and policy dialogue.
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce: Largest US business federation, host of SelectUSA and many bilateral sub-councils including US-India Business Council. Operates much broader portfolio but competes for the same enterprise membership wallet and convening mindshare.

Others

• International Chamber of Commerce: Global business organization with comparable membership, trade-facilitation, and document authentication services (including ATA Carnets). Adjacent rather than directly competitive, but competes for the same corporate international-affairs budgets.

Regional players

• Qatar Chamber of Commerce: Qatar's principal domestic chamber representing Qatari private-sector firms. USQBC's natural counterpart for outbound Qatari investment and partnership development, with overlapping event and matchmaking programming.
• AmCham Qatar: The American Chamber of Commerce in Qatar serves the same member community on the ground in Doha. Operates as an in-country counterpart to USQBC's Washington-based activities, with overlapping membership and complementary event services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/usqatar
• Facebookfacebook.com/usqatar
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/us---qatar-business-council
• Instagraminstagram.com/usqatar

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about US-Qatar Business Council