On 27th January 2016, The British Omani Society held a Reception at Lancaster House hosted by Tobias Ellwood MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, and attended by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and His Highness Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said.
With over 300 guests, including current and former ambassadors, diplomats, MPs, members and many senior friends of Oman, the reception was a chance to celebrate centuries of the historic friendship between the two countries and review the activities and milestones of the Society during its 40 years of life. As HRH The Prince of Wales warmly explained: “This Society thrives today because of the extraordinarily generous support of His Majesty. It does invaluable work supporting cultural and educational relationships.” It is indeed thanks to the generosity of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos that The British Omani Society has developed into such an important institution alongside the support of many others such as HE Sayyid Badr Al Busaidi, HE Shaikh Abdulaziz Al Hinai, and of course, our members. We would like to express our gratitude for the continuous support and encouragement that we receive from them.
The New Generation Group (NGG) was delighted to be represented at the reception by its two Chairmen, Ollie Blake and Sheikh Ma’an Al Rawahi, and a few core members from both countries. In his speech, HRH The Prince of Wales dedicated to them the following words: “I particularly welcome the creation five years ago of its New Generation Group, to ensure that bonds of friendship will endure.” Indeed, the NGG’s work and scope of activities has continued to grow since its formation in 2011, with regular lectures and events now being organised both in London and Muscat, a thriving membership and presence in social media, greater visibility and participation amongst the Omani students in the UK, and NGG Delegations held annually in both countries, all of which contribute to our historic friendship, ensuring it will flourish for generations to come.
It is all of this progress and the unique friendship between the Omani and British people that inspire us to pursue new ventures and as announced by HRH at the reception, the Princes’ Trust International, PASMED, and the NGG “are now exploring other projects that could help the young people of Oman to successfully enter the labour market. The [New Generation] Group is also in talks with my charity Mosaic to explore what they might do to foster entrepreneurship in Oman through our expert charity initiative which is also proving successful in Jordan.” The Chairmen of the NGG had the pleasure to discuss this new and exciting project with HRH The Prince of Wales at the reception on 27 January.
The British Omani Society thanks HRH The Prince of Wales and HH Sayyid Shihab Al Said most sincerely for attending our 40th Anniversary, as well as everyone else who made it such a special occasion and memorable evening.
The transcript of the speech by HRH The Prince of Wales at the Reception is available here.