Key Points:
Qatar has poured billions of dollars into Western universities, raising concerns in the U.S. about hidden political influence.
Reports from NCRI and ISGAP suggest that much of this funding is linked to Qatar’s long-standing relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood.
U.S. officials argue that the funding may be part of a strategy to gain influence within American educational institutions.
Qatar is one of the richest countries in the world, with an estimated net worth of over 100 billion dollars, according to Global Finance magazine. With a population of over three million people as of December 5, 2025, Qatar is also one of the smaller nations globally.
Despite its small population, the country has remained among the world’s wealthiest for nearly two decades. Qatar’s “golden goose” is its oil and natural gas reserves, which serve as its primary source of revenue, with about 70% of its income coming from exports.
However, apart from being a luxurious country under the reign of the current Emir, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, Qatar’s role in funding education has recently come under scrutiny.
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According to reports from multiple media outlets and research groups, Qatar has been pouring not millions — but billions — of dollars into various Western universities. What initially appeared to be a routine investment has now been described by many officials as a “national crisis” due to the alleged hidden agenda behind the funding.
In a report exclusively shared with The Free Press, Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) co-founder Joel Finkelstein stated that the funding serves as a disguise to buy influence on “American campuses.” He said, “This isn’t just a financial issue — it’s a national security crisis.”
According to the NCRI report, donations from Qatar — one of the richest nations in the Arab League — have significantly increased in recent years. The report further noted that over two-thirds of Qatar’s donations, amounting to more than 2 billion dollars, were made to American universities between 2021 and 2024.
Back in 2019, Charles Asher Small, Executive Director of the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP), presented his study titled ‘Follow the Money’ at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). According to the study, the large-scale funding directed toward Western universities may have an ulterior motive.
It examined illicit funding provided by foreign governments and corporations that allegedly promote “anti-democratic and antisemitic ideologies.” These funds were also linked to “terror financing and terrorism.” The ISGAP findings claimed that a significant portion of this funding originates from the Middle East, particularly Qatar.
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ISGAP indicated that billions in funding have not been properly reported to the Department of Education. Qatar’s use of “soft power” to establish global influence through international media and major investments has long been evident.
Many universities have reportedly benefited from Qatari funding. In 2025, Texas A&M University allegedly concealed over 100 million dollars in funding from Qatar, which was not disclosed as required under U.S. federal law.
Qatar’s affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist organization, has been a long-standing point of discussion. The nation previously gave refuge to members of the Muslim Brotherhood in the 1950s and 1960s, who were fleeing from countries such as Syria and Iraq.
The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in Egypt in 1928 by Hassan al-Banna. The organization promotes the teachings of the Qur’an and the Hadith, using them as the foundation for building a modern Islamic society.
Its influence spread across countries such as Palestine and Sudan. In many Middle Eastern countries, the group is considered a controversial force advocating political and social change. However, the United States, among other nations, views the Muslim Brotherhood as a “global threat.”
U.S. policy states that the nation aims to work with regional partners to dismantle and shut down Muslim Brotherhood groups that are designated as “foreign terrorist organizations.”
The refugees who received support from Qatar later assisted the now-wealthy nation in establishing its position and modernizing its institutions. The recently unearthed ISGAP report has strengthened claims that Qatar’s ruling elite has been using billions of dollars in funding to gain influence within the education system, potentially to benefit the Muslim Brotherhood.
The research led by ISGAP has concluded that foreign donations have played a gigantic role in promoting antisemitic ideologies on U.S. university campuses. With the rise of such political viewpoints at state institutions, the organization has issued a warning, stating that the matter should be treated as a serious security concern.
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