The event was held under the patronage of H E Jonathan Wilks British Ambassador and in the presence of H E Dr Rawiyah bint Saud al Busaidiyah Minister of Higher Education.

In the past three years the number of students going to study in the UK has risen considerably from 1305 in 2011 to 2065 in 2013-14 with a majority of students choosing to study business or engineering and technology.

The new British Council alumni network aims to attract five hundred UK alumni in its first year and will give UK alumni access to a diverse professional network opportunities to develop their careers and to share some of their knowledge and experience with the future generation of UK graduates in Oman.

H E Wilks said 'I was delighted to meet so many Omanis who studied in the UK to hear from them about their experiences and to exchange ideas and stories. I hope the upcoming programme of event for UK alumni in Oman will encourage even more young Omanis to pursue their further education in the UK's excellent universities. The UK is the top destination for young Omanis studying abroadwith over 2000 studying in UK universities last year.'

Faisal al Shanfari a University of Bedfordshire graduate said ''Oman UK alumni event gathering gave me the opportunity to meet my friends who were with me during my study days. It is great feeling to see your colleagues again and to know more about their journey in life after university days. The idea of getting the alumni in one network is very interesting and its a good way to keep in touch with everybody and to share experiences and skills.

'The UK provides you with a high quality education. It is giving you the chance to discover create innovate and explore other's cultures and way of life. Britain is a multicultural multi-faith country that has always welcomed migrants and visitors from abroad and you can meet people from different backgrounds and cultures.'