ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE, Oct 26, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - US President Donald Trump met Saturday with the emir and prime minister of Qatar -- a key ally in preserving the fragile Gaza peace deal -- during a refueling stop on his way to Asia.

The Qatari leaders boarded Air Force One when it landed at Al Udeid Air Base, which hosts the regional headquarters for the US military and thousands of American troops.

Trump said the duo had played a crucial role in the Middle East peace process, adding that Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani had been his "friend to the world."

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, fresh off a trip to Israel as part of an all-out diplomatic push by Washington to keep the Gaza truce on track, was present for the meeting with Qatar's leaders.

The leaders did not take questions before pool reporters were ushered out.

Trump is traveling to Asia for the first time since retaking office in January, with two regional summits and face-to-face meetings with China's Xi Jinping and other leaders on the agenda.

Qatar has played a key mediating role in indirect talks between Israel and Hamas since the outbreak of the war, and is among the guarantors of the fragile peace deal, along with Egypt, the United States and Turkey.

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani hosted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan this week to discuss the highly sensitive next steps in the deal, including the establishment of a security force in Gaza and the fate of Hamas.

Qatar's prime minister has also been a key negotiator since the outbreak of the war following Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.