Qatar has funneled over $400 billion into U.S. institutions since 2010, according to a new report by the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD). The findings reveal extensive foreign influence on American schools, colleges, and industries, sparking bipartisan calls for greater transparency.
Foreign Funds Shape U.S. Education
The report highlights programs like the Arab Culture Arts initiative at Brooklyn's PS 261, funded by the Qatar Foundation. Critics argue such funding promotes narratives that exclude Israel and align with Qatari interests rather than American values.
Qatar has spent the equivalent of about $1.2 million for every Qatari citizen to enmesh the country’s interests in nearly every corner of American life.
Bipartisan Push for Accountability
Georgia recently became the first state to mandate disclosure of foreign funding in K-12 schools, a move led by a Democrat. Meanwhile, the House Ways and Means Committee is investigating potential Chinese funding of U.S. nonprofits opposing data center expansion.
The Department of Education's disclosure data shows $68 billion in foreign gifts to American universities since the 1980s, with Qatar accounting for one-fifth of foreign contributions in 2023 alone.