John Hawkins, Ambassador

As Ambassador, Mr John Hawkins is responsible to the British Government for all aspects of the relationship between our two countries.

John joined the British Embassy in Doha in August 2008. His previous job was as Consul General at the British Embassy in Dubai, where he had been working since August 2004.

Prior to coming to the Gulf, John was Counsellor at the British Embassy in Madrid and Director of Trade and Investment for Spain. He had also worked overseas in South Africa and India.

In London he has worked as the International Director of the UK's Inward Investment Promotion Agency. He has also worked in the Foreign Office's Middle East Department and spent two years as one of the Foreign Office's press spokesmen (covering amongst other things Middle Eastern issues).

John was educated at Bedford School and New College Oxford. Before joining the Foreign Office, he worked for J Sainsbury plc.

John was born in 1960 and is married (to Rosemarie) and has two young sons, Mark and Joe.

See the Ambassador's CV

Thoughts on arriving in Qatar, 11 August 2008

Presenting credentials, 26 August 2008

See Mr. Hawkins's introductory press conference, 9 September 2008

Interview with Gulf Times newspaper, 3 March 2009