“I find it almost unbelievable, the amount of progress Qatar has made in the past 20 years”

It’s with genuine surprise and absolute wonder that Nguyen Hoang, Ambassador of Vietnam to Qatar, regards “the amazing transformation” of Qatar.“I find it almost unbelievable, the amount of progress Qatar has made in the past 20 years,” Hoang says, sitting in his office at the Embassy of Vietnam in Qatar, “Qatar can chart the kind of progress that developed nations are capable of, such as organising important international conferences and exhibitions here. Some years ago, we couldn’t imagine Qatar could host FIFA World Cup 2022. Now not just organising it, but Qatar hosting it has also made the World Cup change its schedule from summer to winter.”Community caught up with Hoang for an extensive conversation to discuss everything from his diplomatic career to life in Qatar.Tell us about your growing up years and what made you choose foreign service.I was born and raised in Central Vietnam, the region that would be the most destroyed in the whole of Vietnam during the Vietnam War. I have not merely witnessed, but also suffered from the devastating consequences of the war. From the time I was a child until I was attending primary school, the US was bombing Vietnam. Even today on my body, I have scars from those bombings. Sometimes, we couldn’t go to school or use any of the roads because they would bomb the infrastructure to cause maximum damage. Even when I graduated from High School, it was during the Vietnam War. Following my graduation, the government of Vietnam sent the finest students from all over the country to various foreign countries, including the East European countries, so as to assist them in higher education. I was sent to Poland for higher studies. I was 17 then and I studied there from 1974 to 1979. As for my career choice, I would say that the Foreign Service chose me and not the other way around.Can you explain why that was so? Also, what got you interested in this field?The ambassador of Vietnam in Poland chose me to work at the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam. That time, I didn’t have any knowledge or idea about the ministry or the diplomatic field. But after working as a diplomat, I began to admire my career. I find being a diplomat to be a difficult and competitive job, but very interesting and exciting at the same time. If somebody wants to discover a lot of information in various fields of society, a diplomatic career is just the right path to choose. It allows one the opportunity to meet and acquaint with a lot of people; from high-level officials to blue collared workers. Be they politicians, artistes, scientists, businessmen, labourers, it helps one meet such a great range of people. Not to mention, the immense travel opportunities that it presents.Briefly take us through the highlights of your careerI started my professional career as a translator, and then my diplomatic career in 1980 as a research expert in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In my more than 15 years of service in Poland, I handled a variety of positions from attaché to secretary to the ambassador, and later, also as ambassador. I got to know all the skills and the functions of the diplomatic missions in my time in Poland. Then, I was posted as ambassador in Lithuania, and following that as ambassador to Qatar in September 2014. When the news of my posting in Qatar reached me, I was a little surprised. After spending more than 30 years in Europe, to be suddenly posted in the Middle East was sure to be a totally different experience. Getting to know a new, interesting country is like getting to know a new friend. It’s the same experience of discovery that fuels your interest and curiosity. So when I moved to Doha, I was encountering a lot of things that were new to me.What is your understanding and experience of living in Qatar?From the moment I first landed here in Doha until now, I have a very good impression about Qatar and its people. It’s not only the top-level Qatari officials who I find to be personable, but I find Qataris, in general, to be very warm and helpful. I believe that the friendliness and warmth of Qatar’s people – both Qataris and the expats working here – is a major factor responsible for the prosperity of this country. I feel that when you are living in another country, you tend to absorb the culture and values of that place, and I feel the expats have imbibed the warmth also from the culture of Qataris. After spending two years here, meeting Qataris and expats makes me understand more and more about this country, its history and its rise. After visiting places like the Sheikh Faisal Museum or just a walk on the Corniche or even spending time in desert safaris, I understand how over the course of 20 years, Qatar has become such a fast developing country. Today, nobody can dare think of Qatar as a small country. Do you see Qatar as a melting pot for talented expats?Qatar has an ambitious plan as charted out in Qatar National Vision 2030 and it has terrific potential to achieve it. Qatar is a good model for developing countries in today’s world. The decisions taken by HH the Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani have been very forward-thinking and promising. As for expats, the huge expat population of Qatar be it from India, Nepal, Philippines, or from European and American continents, you can see the contribution of each of these communities in various arenas of Qatar’s development. It’s a terrific success not only of Qatar but also of all nationalities in Qatar.Tell us about the Vietnamese community in Qatar.The Vietnamese community here is really small compared to the communities from the subcontinent, for instance. We number about 2,000 here. However, 10 years ago, the Vietnamese community numbered 10,000 in Qatar, as they were working in several projects that we now see standing tall across Qatar today. In fact, everybody remembers the contribution of the Vietnamese community in playing its part in helping build the Qatar that we see today. The Vietnamese work in fields that range from construction and offshore projects, to advanced technology. The Vietnamese are renowned for their craftsmanship and their ability to give a refined finishing touch to the work they do.It must be a hectic job for you. What do you do for leisure?I play sport, listen to music and meet my friends, apart from staying updated on international affairs and continually brushing up my history and general knowledge. I love playing tennis, table tennis, and practice some classical dances, but for my age, golf is the most appropriate sport. That’s because for golf, you don’t need a lot of power. It’s basically a walk in the park and taking in fresh air and views. The Doha Golf Club is wonderful to be at; it’s like a massive park. While these activities keep me away from homesickness, yet somehow I can’t stop missing home. To me, Vietnam makes me imagine swathes of lush green colour; from the beautiful mountains to large rice fields. And what I really miss most is perhaps authentic Vietnamese cuisine.How do you manage to spend time with your family?My wife Nguyen Thi Chau Anh and I have two children — our elder son Nguyen Viet Anh and our younger one Nguyen Binh Duong. It’s been a long time since both my sons have been living elsewhere in the world. I believe family is the cornerstone of society. It is the most necessary bond for a human being and also for the society to progress. Both my sons are busy with their work in different continents and my wife lives here with me. But we all find time to meet each other as often as we can. That’s important for all of us to keep going.