Oman’s Sultan visits UK with investment, security pacts expected

State visit agreements and Windsor welcome

During the three-day visit, Britain and Oman were expected to sign investment and maritime-security agreements. With the Windsor welcome and banquet complete, the government programme was due to continue on Wednesday, when Prime Minister Andy Burnham was scheduled to host the Sultan at Downing Street. Burnham described the relationship as a friendship that produces real benefits. He pointed to shared priorities in economic growth, security, defence and education, arguing that joint work can create opportunities for people in both countries. British forces have trained alongside Omani forces in Oman for decades.

Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Al Said was welcomed at Windsor by King Charles III, Queen Camilla, and the Prince and Princess of Wales. King Charles III then hosted the Sultan at a state banquet in Windsor Castle’s St George’s Hall, attended by 160 guests.

King Charles described Oman as a longstanding close British friend and a trusted interlocutor during renewed regional conflict. He praised Oman’s commitment to communicating with all parties and its efforts to keep a major shipping route open. Charles also said UK-Oman relations help make both peoples and the wider world safer.

Sultan Haitham said Oman seeks solutions and believes in dialogue.

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the UK-Oman relationship, built on trust and collaboration, must be strengthened at what he described as a critical time for the Middle East. He said Oman’s support for dialogue helps create a path towards peace and regional stability, which he said are essential to global economic and security interests. Miliband said closer cooperation in defence, trade, investment and education can make the relationship deliver for British and Omani people.

According to the Belfast Telegraph, the Strait of Hormuz shipping route off Oman was reported to remain effectively closed to oil tankers because of a blockade attributed to Tehran. The Belfast Telegraph and The Independent reported that Burnham and Sultan Haitham were expected to sign an investment agreement between the two countries and a maritime-security pact intended to increase information sharing between their countries. They also reported that Britain was expected to announce the return of the Chevening educational scholarship programme to Oman.

Alongside the official programme, small groups of protesters demonstrated along the Windsor parade route, displaying flags bearing the slogan “no one is above the law” and raising questions about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, The National Scotland reported.

Separately from the parade-route protest, Republic chief executive Graham Smith criticised the royal engagement with Omani rulers, arguing that Oman has a dreadful human-rights record. Separately, Smith said Charles and William should be held accountable for what they knew about allegations involving Andrew, and said police should be free to follow the evidence.