On a warm November day in 2016, King Charles III, then Prince of Wales, arrived for his second official visit to Oman in a decade and his fifth overall.
He and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, travelled to the Sultanate for a three-day visit. It was the first leg of a tour of the Middle East that would also take them to the UAE and Bahrain, with more than 50 engagements planned.
The tour was to promote partnerships in areas including women in leadership and wildlife conservation.
During their visit to Oman, King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla were guests of the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who had a strong relationship with the British monarchy.
The royal couple began their trip with a visit to the National Museum in Oman. There, they were greeted with a demonstration of Omani folk dancing, which King Charles took part in, wielding a ceremonial sword.
He then toured the museum, where he watched demonstrations of traditional handicrafts and heard classical music performed by Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra.
“The National Museum retains its memory of King Charles's visit as it marked a special moment for us and emphasised the deep bilateral relations enjoyed by the Sultanate of Oman and the UK,” said Jamal Al Moosawi, secretary general of the National Museum.
“We pray that the grace of the Almighty blesses the king with wisdom, compassion, and courage, and to serve as guardian of traditional values.”
The monarch also met a group of young leaders from Oman at Al Bustan Palace, a Ritz Carlton Hotel in Muscat.
Members of the British Council, Anglo-Omani Society, UK Alumni, Connecting Cultures, Outward Bound Oman, John Smith Fellows, the Prince’s Trust and other organisations met the royal visitor.
“It was a great honour for us to meet him, but also a great opportunity for him to learn about some of the fantastic work being done here in Oman by organisations,” said Said Al Shanfari, chief executive of the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre.
“He was very interested in the Connecting Cultures programme we spoke about, which promotes intercultural dialogue.”
“The coronation represents a new chapter in the reign of the monarch, and it's a time to reflect on the significance of the monarchy and its role in British society,” Mr Al Shanfari said.
During his visit, King Charles met three men from Outward Bound Oman, who, in 2015, repeated the first recorded crossing of Rub Al Khali, or the Empty Quarter, by Sheikh Saleh bin Kalut Al Kathiri and Englishman Bertram Thomas in 1930.
Mohammed Al Zadjali, Amor Al Wahaibi and Mark Evans met the royal twice during his visit. King Charles was the UK patron of their trek, while Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, now Sultan of Oman, supported the journey locally.
“King Charles wanted to meet and congratulate us on the achievement, which was very nice of him,” said Mr Al Zadjali.
“We were in North Carolina just three days before we knew he wanted to meet us. We booked to come back straight away. I was very excited as it was my first meeting with him.”
The adventurers prepared a gallery of photos to show King Charles as they described their experience.
“We wanted to present him with a gift, something unique to Oman. So, after careful thought, we gave him Bedouin socks that people in the eastern part of Oman use to wear while walking in the sand, which he was very happy to receive.”
King Charles also wrote the foreword for the book that was written by Mark Evans, executive director of Outward Bound Oman, about their crossing.
Queen Consort Camilla was busy with a separate engagements in Oman.
She visited the Let’s Read bookshop, Oman’s first charity bookshop, founded to promote reading among children.
She met Omani children and listened to them as they read stories in Arabic in the library.
As part of her engagements, she also visited Dar Al Hanan, a home run by the Oman Cancer Association to provide accommodation, food, and transport for children with cancer and their families, and presided over a business exhibition for Omani women at the British ambassador’s residence.
Previous visits to Oman by King Charles included a tour in 1986, with then wife Diana, Princess of Wales, followed by visits in 1992, 1999 and 2003.
He also travelled to Oman to pay his condolences on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II following the death of Sultan Qaboos in 2020.
Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
Directed by: RS Prasanna
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar
Q&A with Dash Berlin
Welcome back. What was it like to return to RAK and to play for fans out here again?
It’s an amazing feeling to be back in the passionate UAE again. Seeing the fans having a great time that is what it’s all about.
You're currently touring the globe as part of your Legends of the Feels Tour. How important is it to you to include the Middle East in the schedule?
The tour is doing really well and is extensive and intensive at the same time travelling all over the globe. My Middle Eastern fans are very dear to me, it’s good to be back.
You mix tracks that people know and love, but you also have a visually impressive set too (graphics etc). Is that the secret recipe to Dash Berlin's live gigs?
People enjoying the combination of the music and visuals are the key factor in the success of the Legends Of The Feel tour 2018.
Have you had some time to explore Ras al Khaimah too? If so, what have you been up to?
Coming fresh out of Las Vegas where I continue my 7th annual year DJ residency at Marquee, I decided it was a perfect moment to catch some sun rays and enjoy the warm hospitality of Bab Al Bahr.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Borussia Dortmund v Paderborn (11.30pm)
Saturday
Bayer Leverkusen v SC Freiburg (6.30pm)
Werder Bremen v Schalke (6.30pm)
Union Berlin v Borussia Monchengladbach (6.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Wolfsburg (6.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldof v Bayern Munich (6.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Cologne (9.30pm)
Sunday
Augsburg v Hertha Berlin (6.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Mainz (9pm)
Jawan
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Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
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Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Afghanistan Premier League - at a glance
Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Fixtures:
Tue, Oct 16, 8pm: Kandahar Knights v Kabul Zwanan; Wed, Oct 17, 4pm: Balkh Legends v Nangarhar Leopards; 8pm: Kandahar Knights v Paktia Panthers; Thu, Oct 18, 4pm: Balkh Legends v Kandahar Knights; 8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Paktia Panthers; Fri, Oct 19, 8pm: First semi-final; Sat, Oct 20, 8pm: Second semi-final; Sun, Oct 21, 8pm: final
Table:
1. Balkh Legends 6 5 1 10
2. Paktia Panthers 6 4 2 8
3. Kabul Zwanan 6 3 3 6
4. Nagarhar Leopards 7 2 5 4
5. Kandahar Knights 5 1 4 2
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
UAE squad v Australia
Rohan Mustafa (C), Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Fahad Nawaz, Amjed Gul, Shaiman Anwar, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Muhammad Naveed, Amir Hayat, Ghulam Shabir (WK), Qadeer Ahmed, Tahir Latif, Zahoor Khan
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
The bio
Job: Coder, website designer and chief executive, Trinet solutions
School: Year 8 pupil at Elite English School in Abu Hail, Deira
Role Models: Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk
Dream City: San Francisco
Hometown: Dubai
City of birth: Thiruvilla, Kerala
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
