1949 - 1963

The British Government first established a permanent presence in Doha in 1949, when the first Political Agent, Mr John Wilton, was appointed. Initially he had to live and work in one room: "I divided my room with a curtain - bed on one side, desk on the other - and went to work." Fortunately the decision was soon made to provide a more suitable location for the Political Agency, in a traditional Qatari building located near to the present-day site of the Amiri Diwan in central Doha.

 

1963 - 2008

As Qatar's population and economy grew, it became clear that the Political Agency building could not accommodate the expanding British presence. In 1963 the Political Agency's office relocated to a new site in Rumeila on land loaned to Her Majesty's Government by the Amir. The following year the Political Agent moved into the new Residence, which would remain in continuous use until 2008. The Embassy buildings saw 11 Ambassadors and played host to many prominent visitors, including members of the British royal family and government ministers.

 

2008 onwards

By the turn of the century, the British community in Qatar had grown to over 8500, making huge contributions to almost all sectors of the economy and UK exports to Qatar were expected to reach £600m a year in 2007. Responding to these developments, the British Embassy had expanded to such a degree that one stage in the 1990s it was spread over three separate sites. On 17 June 2006 the Embassy began work on a new building to bring its staff together in a modern facility. On 7 February 2008 the Union flag was raised at the new Embassy by Assistant Defence Attaché Chief Petty Officer Darren Sass.

The new British Embassy is an emphatic demonstration of the strong and enduring partnership between our two countries, based on a shared vision for the future. We look forward to the next half-century.