* 1962 Joined the Franciscan Capuchin Order.
* 1963 September 12 Religious Profession.
* 1967 July 4 Priestly Ordination
* 1974-1986 Professor to Capuchin students
* 1976 Obtained his Doctorate in Theology after specialized studies in Canon Law in Munich and Fribourg.
* 1986-1994 Provincial Superior of the Capuchins in Switzerland.
* 1994-2003 General Councilor in Rome for the Capuchin Order with special responsibilities, including for the Capuchins in the Middle East.
* 2003 December 20 Appointed Auxiliary Bishop for the Apostolic Vicariate of Arabia.
* 2004 January 30 Episcopal ordination in Abu Dhabi.
* 2005 March 21 Elected Vicar Apostolic of Arabia (UAE, Oman, Yemen, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia), succeeding Bishop Bernardo Gremoli.
* 2007-2017 Appointed consultor of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue.
* 2008-2018 Member of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People (then Migrants and Refugees Section of the Dicastery of Integral Human Development).
* 2009-2019 Consultor of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples
* 2011 May 31 The Vicariate of Arabia was divided into two vicariates of Northern Arabia (Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia) and Southern Arabia (UAE, Oman, Yemen).
Bishop Paul was appointed as Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia.
* 2020 May 13 In addition to the charge of Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia, he was appointed Apostolic Administrator of the Vicariate of Northern Arabia after the death of the Apostolic Vicar, Bishop Camillo Ballin, until the appointment of the new Apostolic Vicar.
* 2022 May 1 Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Bishop Paul Hinder and appointed Msgr. Paolo Martinelli OFM Cap. as the new Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia.
* 2023 March 18 Pope Francis appointed on January 28, 2023, the new Apostolic Vicar of Northern Arabia, Msgr. Aldo Berardi, O.SS.T., who was ordained bishop and installed in his office on March 18, 2003.
* Since then, Bishop Paul Hinder is relieved from all responsibilities in the Gulf but continues to serve as Bishop Emeritus.
“Un Vescovo In Arabia” (A Bishop in Arabia)
Read the text of an interview with Bishop Paul Hinder on the life of the Church in the Persian Gulf.
that refers to his book "Un Vescovo in Arabia. La mia esperienza con l’islam" (A Bishop in Arabia: My Experience with Islam).