HE the Minister of Youth and Sports Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali and Qatar’s Ambassador to the UK Yousef bin Ali al-Khater at the Career Fair in London.

By Denise Marray/Gulf Times Correspondent/London


Qatari students studying in UK universities have great potential, HE the Minister of Youth and Sports Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali has said.
He was speaking to Gulf Times at the UK Career Fair, held in London over the weekend, after a special meeting with the students who had the opportunity to take guidance and advice from him and to air their views.
At the conclusion of the lively session, HE al-Ali told Gulf Times that the students can fulfil their dreams if they really believe in themselves and work hard. “In Qatar, you really can go very, very far when you have a dream and you work hard for it.”
Asked about the motivation of the students who come from the wealthiest nation in the world per capita, he said: “Fortune is a plus, but it could also be a curse. There are a lot of studies about the ‘oil curse’ whereby people feel that everything is abundant and everything is easy and the silver spoon is always there for everybody. But I think in Qatar with our 2030 Vision, we know that it is very challenging to fulfil that and the human aspect is the main pillar.”
He reflected that Qatar, like many countries, has been through many phases in its economic fortunes: “You have to remember that in our history we went through the abundance of pearl fishing and suddenly we lost that industry. So, we know how to deal with these issues and our human resources are the main resources for us. I think not only the Qatari students are lucky, but we as a country are very lucky to have such students. I think we are overcoming the quantity issue with quality and this was very obvious today. I think it was an amazing meeting – the Qatari youth have showed their calibre today.”
Yousef bin Ali al-Khater, Qatar’s Ambassador to the UK, said: “The advice I would like to give the students is ‘Do your best’ and make the most of this opportunity that you have with these wonderful sponsor companies participating in the Career Fair.”
Mohamed al-Ka’abi, cultural attache in the Qatar embassy, UK, said the Career Fair was a great occasion for students to meet with HE the Minister, the ambassador and sponsoring companies. He was particularly pleased to see a high attendance of female students.
He observed, “The students are serious and responsible – these are the people who will guide Qatar in the future.”