Saudi-British relations: A personal touch

When I got an invitation to attend a social function at the British Trade Office in Alkhobar, I remembered the first time I was invited to attend an event at their compound about 10 years ago. The event had to do with Her Majesty the Queen’s birthday. I attended the event in my navy uniform and was met by the British ambassador, at that time Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, who arrived in the Kingdom in September 2003 and left in March 2007.
As time passed, his Saudi friends started calling him Abu Henry. I had a long chat with him and was surprised about his deep knowledge of Saudi culture and his wide range of Saudi friends. We chatted about the desert, falcons, the media and most important about the depth of the Saudi-British relations.
During the tenure of Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles in the Kingdom, his efforts to promote Saudi-UK ties were clearly visible. Visa process for Saudis was eased. The British Embassy started issuing multiple 5 and 10 years visa with minimum requirements at a time when most western embassies excluding the American Embassy needed many documents for one single entry and for a specific entry and departure dates. It is true that things did change in other western embassies, but, as I mentioned this was about 10 years ago.
The bottom line is that the effort of an active ambassador in any country can make a difference in the relations between the people. Nowadays, many Saudis have British visa and Saudi and British tourists, businessmen and women are strengthening the already deep and strategic relations between the Saudi and British people. And to this day, many Saudis remember and appreciate the extra efforts that Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles or Abu Henry made to promote people-to-people contacts. The former ambassador left Saudi Arabia in 2007 to take up his new assignment in Afghanistan and as far as I know he is out of the political scene and holds the position of a business development director at BAE Systems in London. So, now we go from London to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to meet a prince. And I am not talking about a Saudi prince, I am talking about a British prince who made unprecedented efforts to widen the scope of cooperation and strengthen the Saudi-British relations for more than 30 years. He is Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales. So, where did I see the British prince?
Just a few days ago, I was watching the Al Janadriyah festival activities on Saudi television when my wife asked me who is the man standing between the Saudi Second Deputy Premier Prince Muqrin and the National Guard Minister Prince Miteb bin Abdullah. At first I didn’t recognize him, but, at a glance I said….Oops, that man is Prince Charles. He was wearing a traditional colored thobe and a red and white ghutra on his head and on top of it was the black igaal. Minutes later, we saw him dance the traditional Ardah. To be honest, he looked very sharp. This simple participation by the second in line to the British throne indicates only the depth of the Saudi-British relations.
The presence of the British prince with members of the Saudi royal family is a unique gesture to show the simplicity and yet the deeply rooted relations between not only the two countries, but, also between the Saudis and the British public. The relation goes even before the foundation of modern day Saudi Arabia.
This relation had produced many strategic and important trade agreements that helped both countries. But, regardless of the strong political relations between the countries, the personal relationship always goes little bet further. And the new British Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Sir John Jenkins and his staff are doing just that. Adding a personal touch to the relation between the two countries.