Qatar expat awarded medal by the Queen of England

Almost all the expats in Qatar would know Tony Porter. A second hand car dealer in Doha, he has been helping many expats and their families find safety on the country’s roads and the right vehicle.

All his services have not been a waste since he has been awarded a British Empire Medal by the Queen of England herself as a recognition of “services to the British community in Qatar”.

Tony who was born in Aldridge in the West Midlands, moved to Qatar in 1993. He was working in the car business in both London and Saudi Arabia, and now runs “Oasis Cars” along with his Jordanian business partner Mamoon Khalil Halawa.

He not only sells cars, and helps customers navigate the red tape involved with the purchase process, he also runs courses on safe driving in the city and desert.

Along with this, he is an avid community worker including sponsoring a local expat rugby team and organising desert trips for schoolchildren and families.

When visitors, such as sailors from Royal Navy ships, stop off in Qatar, Tony even shows them around, and sometimes supplies them with a car and driver.

He said, “That might not mean much to people from outside but for them it’s nice because they don’t have to worry about little things like that.”

Although, Tony had no clue as to who would have nominated him for the medal, he suspects it might be the Foreign Office as he helps British embassy staff when they arrive in Qatar.

On learning about the medal, he said, “I’m not one for the limelight, so I was shocked and happy when I found out about the medal.” [Written by Elizabeth Roberts: telegraph.co.uk]