Residents of Ghungrana village in Ludhiana have a new reason to celebrate following Canada’s appointment of village native Angad Singh Dhillon as its next ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), marking a significant diplomatic milestone for the Punjabi-origin Canadian.
Canada’s foreign affairs minister Anita Anand announced Angad’s appointment on Friday as part of a fresh round of diplomatic postings. He will succeed Radha Krishna Panday as Canada’s ambassador to the UAE. The appointment has been officially confirmed by Global Affairs Canada.
For Angad’s family, the announcement was a moment of immense pride. His father, Naininder Singh Dhillon, said the appointment was a major achievement for the family and the village.
According to his father, Angad completed his schooling at Yadavindra Public School, Mohali, before studying at Mahindra United World College in Pune. He moved to Canada in 2010 at the age of 19 and later earned a degree in International Relations from Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick.
Angad entered Canadian politics in 2015, joining the Liberal Party as a field organiser in the Peel region during the federal election campaign. His work covered the region’s 11 federal electoral districts, all of which were won by the Liberals that year, according to his father.
{{/usCountry}}Angad entered Canadian politics in 2015, joining the Liberal Party as a field organiser in the Peel region during the federal election campaign. His work covered the region’s 11 federal electoral districts, all of which were won by the Liberals that year, according to his father.
{{/usCountry}}“He subsequently moved to Ottawa and joined the Liberal Research Bureau, where he worked in outreach and operations and contributed to policy-related work involving South Asian and East European communities,”said Naininder.
“One of the assignments associated with his early political career was the background work and logistics surrounding the Canadian government’s apology for the 1914 Komagata Maru incident,” Naininder said.
Angad later served as chief of staff to two federal cabinet ministers handling the small business and transport portfolios. In those roles, he was involved in Canada’s engagement with international forums including the G7, G20, United Nations General Assembly, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and the International Transport Forum.
Naininder said that Angad’s most recent assignment was in the office of Prime Minister Mark Carney, where he served as director of operations and stakeholder relations. Global Affairs Canada said Angad supported efforts to re-engage Canada with key bilateral partners, including India and China, and helped coordinate incoming investment commitments and the planning of Canada’s inaugural national Investment Summit.
The Dhillon family also has a longstanding association with public life in Punjab. Naininder said Angad’s great-grandfather, Gurnam Singh Ghungrana, was among the early members associated with the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee in the 1930s.
His grandfather, Jagjit Singh Ghungrana, was a progressive farmer who served as chairman of the Punjab Agro Industries Corporation and was associated with the management board of Punjab Agricultural University.