Biden names Qatar a major non-NATO ally to the US: US President Joe Biden will designate Qatar a major non-NATO ally in a bid to deepen “bilateral defense and security cooperation” with Doha, he announced in a White House statement ahead of his meeting with Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, yesterday. The move comes as Biden tries to secure more natural gas supplies from Doha — which is the world’s second-biggest exporter of liquefied natural gas — in hopes of resolving Europe’s looming energy crisis.

Plane-purchase diplomacy: Qatar Airways signed a record deal at the White House with Boeing for up to 100 passenger aircraft — an order worth USD 34 bn at list prices, CNBC reports. The transaction deals a blow to European competitor Airbus, which earlier in January canceled a contract with Qatar Airways for 50 new planes amid a dispute over alleged surface issues.

Also worth knowing this morning:

• The UAE intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile fired by the Yemeni Houthi terrorist group according to state-run WAM news agency. The attack coincided with Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s first visit to the Emirates, Reuters reports.
• Libya could have a new PM by next week: Libya’s parliament is set to vote on a new prime minister to replace incumbent Abdul Hamid Dbeibah next Tuesday, February 8, Bloomberg reports, after critical presidential elections were postponed in December on the back of “threats to the ballot.”