(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Muscat- The UK's Ambassador to Oman, H E John Wilks, at a ceremony has singled out the role of the Anglo-Omani Society's role describing it as the 'strongest' association the UK has in collaboration with any other country.
He was speaking at his residence on Sunday night at the celebration of the society's 40th anniversary by the Omani side.
'I'm proud to say that this society is the most effective and stronger than any such society in the UK, and this is a symbol of the warm relationship between the two countries,' he said.
He said he witnessed the effect of the society shortly after becoming the ambassador in 2014. 'I saw for myself the incredible personal relationships and the networks,' he said.
'The depth and richness of the personal historic relationships in every field, whether it's military or security, or cultural or educational, investment and trade, is a really important part of the strength of the relationship.'
The society was formed by the UK's first Ambassador to Oman, H E Donald Hawley, in 1976 and has around 700 individual and 30 corporate members.
The society holds cross-cultural events and also provides grants of around £150,000 (RO70,512.6) per year for students to travel from one country to the other. In 2011, the society formed its 'New Generation Group', which targets young members. The society held a major event for the 40th anniversary in January in London, where it is based.
That ceremony was attended by Prince Charles and H H Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq al Said, representing His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who is the society's patron.
The Sunday's event was attended by the society's chairman and former UK ambassador to Oman, H E Robert Alston, and the society's Oman representative, Sheikh Ma'an al Rawahi.
British businesspeople, representatives from the Oman British Friendship Association, and senior Omani officials were also present at the event.
H E Alston and former Ambassador H E Stuart Laing have written the book, Unshook Till the End of Time: A History of Britain and Oman. The Arabic translation of the book is planned to be released in around a year, H E Alston said.
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