Qatar PM arrives in Venezuela on first trip since Maduro’s ouster: What to know
Qatar is moving to shore up ties with Venezuela as the US seeks greater control over the South American country’s oil revenues.
Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani visited Venezuela on Tuesday, his first trip to the country since the US raid that removed President Nicolas Maduro in January. The trip comes as Qatar eyes a mediator role between the United States and the new Venezuelan government.
What happened: Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil received Sheikh Mohammed at the airport in Caracas, footage from the state broadcaster showed.
#EnVideo📹| Arribó al Aeropuerto Internacional Simón Bolívar de Maiquetía, en el estado La Guaira, el Primer Ministro de Qatar, Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, quien fue recibido por el Canciller de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela, Yván Gil. pic.twitter.com/DDconl25gy
— VTV CANAL 8 (@VTVcanal8) February 17, 2026
The official Venezolana de Television reported that the visit would focus on bilateral relations, including in the fields of agriculture and investment. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The visit is Sheikh Mohammed’s first to Venezuela since 2022.
Why it matters: The United States captured Maduro in an early morning raid on Jan. 3, leaving his vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, to assume power as acting president. The new government has moved to cooperate with the United States, particularly in energy matters, and passed a law later in January to allow more foreign investment in the beleaguered oil sector. Washington eased sanctions on Venezuela’s energy sector on Friday with the goal of increasing American investment.
Qatar had expressed “deep concern” about the removal of Maduro, while declaring its “full readiness” to work toward a peaceful solution. Since Maduro's ouster, Doha has sought to act as a broker between the two countries, and Venezuela’s oil revenue was deposited earlier this year into a US-controlled account in Qatar.
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright told NBC in an interview published Friday that an account at the Treasury Department has since been activated to receive the funds and that the money would no longer go through Qatar. Wright told the outlet that revenue from Venezuelan oil sales has reached $1 billion since Maduro’s ouster.
The arrangement with Qatar had drawn criticism from Democrats, and Rep. Gregory Meeks, the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, wrote a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday warning that the “offshore account could enable corruption.”
Know more: Qatar, a major non-NATO ally of the United States, seeks to play the role of mediator in a number of conflicts. Along with Egypt and the United States, Qatar brokered the Gaza ceasefire deal last October between Israel and Hamas.
The Gulf state enjoyed friendly ties with Venezuela before Maduro’s fall and hosted Rodriguez for talks with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Sheikh Mohammed last April. Maduro last visited Qatar in 2022.
Despite the diplomatic engagement, economic relations between the two countries are minimal. Venezuela exported just $303,000 worth of goods to Qatar in 2023, most of which was dried legumes. More recent data on the exports or Venezuelan imports from Qatar is not available.
Qatar Airways added a flight route to Caracas in January 2025.
