Richest Asian Mukesh Ambani is flying to Doha to meet U.S. President Donald Trump, his second meeting since Mr. Trump returned to presidency in January this 12 months.
Mr. Ambani will attend a state dinner that the Emir of Qatar is internet hosting for Mr. Trump on the Lusail Palace in Doha on Wednesday (May 14, 2025), sources with direct data of the matter mentioned.
Reliance Industries Ltd., the agency that Mr. Ambani heads, didn’t reply to an e mail despatched for feedback.
While enterprise discussions are off the desk, his oil-to-retail conglomerate has companies intently tied to choices of the U.S. President.
Reliance had final 12 months secured waivers from the U.S. to resume importing crude oil from Venezuela. It nonetheless had to cease that in March following Mr. Trump authorising a 25% tariff on international locations shopping for the South American nation’s oil.
Reliance additionally sells fuels like gasoline comprised of crude oil purchased from international locations resembling Russia into the American market.
Also, U.S. tech giants resembling Google and Meta have taken an fairness stake in Mr. Ambani’s digital enterprise.
Reliance has enterprise ties with Qatar as properly. The Gulf nation’s sovereign wealth fund, Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) has invested about $1 billion in Mr. Ambani’s retail enterprise.
Mr. Ambani and his spouse Nita had attended Mr. Trump’s second inauguration in January. They had been additionally a part of the choose 100 who attended an intimate candlelit dinner with Mr. Trump a day prior to the inauguration.
“At the dinner, the two had met Vice-President J.D. Vance and his wife Usha as well,” sources mentioned.
The Ambanis share shut ties with the Trump household.
The richest Indian was current when Ivanka Trump, daughter of Donald Trump, visited Hyderabad for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in 2017. She was an advisor to President Trump then.
He was additionally current when Mr. Trump visited India final because the U.S. President in February 2020.
Ms. Ivanka, her husband Jared Kushner and their eldest daughter Arabella Rose had been among the many celebrities who attended the star-studded three-day pre-wedding celebrations of Mr. Ambani’s youngest son Anant and fiancée Radhika Merchant in Jamnagar, Gujarat, in March 2024.
Published – May 14, 2025 11:15 pm IST
