Society lending strength to Oman-UK ties

Energy Sunday 23/October/2016 23:16 PM
By: Times News Service
Society lending strength to  Oman-UK ties

Muscat: Four decades of friendship between the Sultanate of Oman and the United Kingdom were marked at a special event held in Muscat on Sunday.
Speaking at a reception that had been organised at his official residence to recognise the 40th anniversary of the Anglo-Omani Society, Jonathan Wilks, ambassador of the UK to Oman noted, “The society is a really important part of the strength of the relationship between our two nations.
“When I was appointed ambassador, I saw for myself the incredible personal relationships and the networks.
“It really makes our job at the embassy easier to build on the close relations between our two countries,” he added. “It reflects the richness of the personal historical relationships in every field, whether it is military or security, cultural or educational, or investment and trade.”
The chief guest of the night was Mohammed Al Zubair, Advisor to His Majesty the Sultan Qaboos bin Said for Economic Planning Affairs.
Also in attendance were Ali Al Sunaidy, of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and current Chairman of the society, as well as Robert Alston, who had previously served as British ambassador to Oman.
Low-cost exchanges
“Thanks to the generosity of His Majesty the Sultan, the Anglo-Omani Society has been assisted in providing a number of low-cost exchanges between Britons and Omanis, right across the board in a whole range of disciplines,”
said Alston.
“We are keen to develop these relationships more proactively, and those are involved in relationships between both countries. Please bear in mind that we are there to help.” Alston went on to expand on the operations of the Anglo-Omani society.
“We have now had more than 100 young people who have come for a year of study at the Sultan School for postgraduate studies,” he said. “The other programme that we’ve begun since the school was instituted is to bring a group of Arabic students from UK universities every summer.
“We conduct an excellent programme at Corpus Christi College in Cambridge in July, at which a dozen or so Omani students were able to interact in a range of activities in the United Kingdom. Clearly, these programmes underline a particular vocation inherited to encourage in the next generation the relationships that existed in our students,”
Alston added.
Formed by Donald Hawley, the first British ambassador to the Sultanate, the Anglo-Omani Society aims to support the close relationship between the UK and Oman through education and culture.
Information about the Anglo Omani Society can be obtained by email at [email protected] or the British Embassy in Oman at 24 60 9000.