Mukesh Ambani to fly to Qatar for Donald Trump's state dinner—here's why this high-profile visit matters
Mukesh Ambani, Asia's richest man and chairman of Reliance Industries, is travelling to Doha to attend a state dinner hosted by the Emir of Qatar in honour of US President Donald Trump. The event, set to take place at Lusail Palace on Wednesday, will be Ambani's second meeting with Trump since the US leader resumed office in January this year.
No business talks, but key ties remain
Although business discussions will not be part of the dinner agenda, Ambani's visit is significant. His oil-to-retail group, Reliance Industries, operates in sectors that are closely influenced by US policy. In 2023, Reliance had obtained waivers from the US to import crude oil from Venezuela, but was forced to halt imports this March after President Trump imposed a 25% tariff on countries continuing oil trade with Venezuela. Reliance also exports fuel made from Russian oil into the US market.
Strong connections with US and Qatar
Ambani's group has ongoing ties with Qatar too. The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), the Gulf state's sovereign wealth fund, has invested around USD 1 billion in Reliance Retail. In the US, Reliance's digital arm has received equity investments from major tech firms such as Google and Meta, underlining its international partnerships.
Continuing personal ties with Trump
Ambani and his wife, Nita Ambani, were present at Trump's second inauguration in January and also attended a private dinner hosted the night before the ceremony. They met US Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha at the event. Ambani has maintained longstanding personal ties with the Trump family. He was present during Ivanka Trump's 2017 visit to Hyderabad for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit and attended Trump's official visit to India in 2020.
Trump-Ambani ties visible at family celebrations
The Ambani family's recent wedding festivities in March 2024 also saw close involvement of the Trumps. Ivanka Trump, her husband Jared Kushner, and their daughter Arabella Rose were among the high-profile attendees at the pre-wedding celebrations of Ambani's youngest son, Anant Ambani, and Radhika Merchant in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
This meeting in Qatar underscores the continued engagement between the Ambanis and the Trump circle, both on the business front and through personal ties.
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