‘Belgians a vibrant community’

Though the Belgians are a small community in Qatar, our people have been able to generate a lot of interest and attention among the country’s residents, ambassador Bart de Groof said yesterday.
While answering a query on Belgians in Qatar, De Groof who put their number around 700, said the Belgians are a vibrant group and they have been able to remain at the forefront of their activities since the opening of the embassy in 2006.
“Many of my compatriots in Qatar are engineers and our professionals working in such areas as aeronautics, construction and dredging have contributed considerably to the respective areas over the years,” said the ambassador.
De Groof said his country’s capital Brussels, being the host to the European parliament and also to the headquarters of Nato, has evoked a lot of interest among Qatar’s citizens and residents alike.
A host of delegations from Belgium, covering different areas of interest have visited Qatar over the years and this year’s Belgian Cultural Autumn would witness the arrival of a number of Belgian professionals,
said the ambassador.
A number of local fashion design enthusiasts are also showing interest in the fashion industry in Belgium, said Groof while recalling the visits made by the country’s residents in recent years to fashion centres in Antwerp and Belgium.
“Other than sport events like football, the residents of Qatar are showing great interest in learning more about Belgium and its features and
characteristics,” added Groof.