Consulate-General of Qatar 🇶🇦

Location: Central Plaza, Suite 5501- 5502, 18 Harbour Rd, Wan Chai

Marhaba ya’ll (Hello in arabic). Leaving the elevators on the 55th floor, we were immediately surprised by the bright white interior of the Qatari Consulate’s entrance, in sizable contrast to the largely dull colors of the rest of the building. After registering with the front desk, we sat down in the large white leather seats, which David stroked lovingly (David is a very classy fellow). A few short moments later we were brought to a reception room usually used for official dignitaries (such as ourselves), decked out in huge leather armchairs, arranged in a formal “negotiation-like” pattern. Sitting down, we were quickly introduced to three very hospitable ladies, one of which was Ms. Maryam Al-Shibi, the acting consul-general of Qatar. Therefore, this was the first time we were actually outnumbered in our interview. Surprisingly, we were approached by a consular assistant, dates and qahwah (Arabic Coffee) in hand, both in ornate traditional silverware. While at first glance, the qahwah was strangely yellow in color, tasting it was a pleasure, with unmistakable hints of Cardamom, very distinct from what you’ll find at Starbucks. The dates were also sweet, with an interesting texture, especially when Nick bit into the pit he didn’t know was inside.

Following this pleasant Qatari welcome, we began our interview with some simple questions about the Consulate’s mission and history. The Qatari Consulate in Hong Kong opened in 2014, and its mission largely falls under Qatar’s National 2030 vision, which holds 4 pillars: social, human, economic, environmental development. For example, Qatar and Hong Kong are very economically linked, with agreements prohibiting double taxation, and an air service agreement, especially interesting given that Qatar Airways recently purchased a 10% stake in Cathay Pacific. We also learned that while many Qatari citizens have business in Hong Kong, not many actually reside in the city, with even two of the consular staff we met being Tunisian and Jordanian. Following our introductions, we were unexpectedly brought to another conference room, where we were given a presentation on the tourist attractions and important cultural sites of Qatar. Such include The Pearl in Doha, the Islamic Art Museum, and the Souq Waqif. This is because Ms. Al-Shibi told us Qatar is attempting to diversify from its reliance on oil and natural gas, and trying to become a worldwide hub of arts, travel, education, and sports. The greatest example of this is the World Cup hosted in Qatar next year, being the first Middle Eastern nation to do so. We were shown a video of the gorgeous stadiums, many of which designed to look like cultural articles, and even one made of old shipping containers, that is able to be fully taken down following the tournament. The Qatari Consulate is excited to share much of its culture in the future, holding events during Qatari National Day, and is planning to host a pre-World Cup event in Hong Kong.

Asking Ms. Al-Shibi about what she wanted students to know the most, she told us that Qatar is trying to shed the old image of the Middle East as a war-torn place, and is in fact becoming one of the more developed places in the world. She encouraged all students to come to visit Qatar one day, not only for tourism and culture, but also for education, as Qatar’s Education City holds satellite campuses of Northwestern, Georgetown, Carnegie Mellon, and more.

We were also given a quick tour of the large and modern facility, filled with a kitchen, dining room, and the Consul-General’s office that we’d be happy to call home. As we were about to depart, we were also given two lovely goodie bags, wrapped in gold leaf (100% certified), which we heavily appreciated. Given the immense hospitality that we encountered at the Qatari Consulate, we’d like to thank Ms. Al-Shibi and her staff for their welcoming attitude, and for spending 45 minutes with us students. As such, we’d encourage you all to visit Qatar in the future, and possibly watch a few world cup matches while you’re at it.