WASHINGTON, May 12 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump justified his decision to accept a gift from the Qatari royal family by saying that Boeing's delays in delivering the new Air Force One made the decision practical.

He added that the United States has preserved the safety of Qatar and other Gulf states, and that he does not intend to use the plane for personal reasons after his term ends.

(Prepared by Noha Zakaria for the Arabic edition - Edited by Ayman Saad Muslim)