New British Ambassador arrives in Doha
The British Embassy is pleased to announce that John Hawkins, the new British Ambassador to the State of Qatar has arrived in Doha with his family to take up his appointment.
He said on arrival: "I am delighted to be here in Doha and excited by the challenge of working with such dynamic partners as His Highness The Emir and his Ministers, as well as the rapidly growing and active British community. Britain and Qatar have always been very close - economically, politically and culturally - but we clearly now have an excellent opportunity to make the relationship even stronger. The Embassy team and I look forward to doing all we can to ensure that this happens".
Mr Hawkins, who presented copies of his credentials to HE Assistant Foreign Minister Saif Moqaddam al-Buainain on 12 August, comes to Qatar from Dubai, where he spent four years as Consul General and Head of the Embassy there. He worked previously on Middle East issues at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London. He also has a strong business background having previously worked as the UK's Director of Trade and Investment for Spain and the International Director of the UK's Inward Investment Promotion Agency.
Mr Hawkins said of the QBBF: "I have worked very closely throughout my Foreign Office career with British business and am delighted to be able to have the chance to do so again here in Doha. I was particularly pleased to hear that the QBBF is flourishing and that the relationship with the Embassy is such a close one. I promise that I will do all that I can to maintain that relationship and look forward to working with the QBBF and all its members to strengthen further the growing trade and investment relationship that exists between Qatar and the United Kingdom."
Mr Hawkins is married to Rosemarie and has two young sons