UK Commonwealth Envoy, former British Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates
17th April 2019 London, UK
This time last year, 46 Heads of Government and 49 Foreign Ministers gathered in London for the 25th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. Formally opened on 19 April by HM The Queen, this was the largest summit of its kind our country has ever hosted. Ahead of the formal conference, a whole series of discussion […]
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22nd May 2018 London, UK
Your Excellency Dr Ahmad bin Abdulla Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of State for Higher Education. Your Excellency Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World. Your Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies & Gentlemen. Welcome! Welcome – with thanks to DP World – to this iconic venue, which bears the name of Her […]
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19th April 2018 London, UK
Your Highnesses, Your Excellencies, Ladies & Gentlemen Welcome! And thank you for joining this celebration. Your Highness, Sheikh Nahayan Mubarak Al Nahayan, Minister for Tolerance, it is a great honour that you are here with us again this year. And the honour is all the greater because this is your fourth visit to this garden […]
Read more on British Ambassador’s speech at the Queen’s Birthday Party in Abu Dhabi | Reply (1)
19th April 2017 London, UK
Your Highness, Minister, Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen A warm welcome – from me and my wife Kasia – to this celebration of the 91st birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, which has been opened beautifully by the singing of the Choir of the British School Al Khubairat. Before I go further, with great sadness, […]
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8th February 2017 London, UK
I am going to talk to you today about the relations between the Gulf and a Global Britain – an outward-looking nation thriving and prospering on the world stage. I will touch on the strength of the partnership, the shared interests which make this imperative, and, of course, the implications of Brexit. Partnership between the […]
Read more on My speech at Family Office Forum Dubai on UK-GCC relations and a post-Brexit Global Britain | Reply
9th August 2016 London, UK
On 23 June, the British people voted to leave the European Union (EU). The new British Prime Minister, Theresa May, has been clear that Brexit means Brexit. Some commentators – in the UAE media and elsewhere – have suggested that Britain is in retreat, that Brexit is another sign of the UK stepping back from […]
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21st April 2016 London, UK
Your Highness[es], Excellencies, Ladies & Gentlemen: welcome – from me and from my wife Kasia – to our goodly manor, this towered citadel, for this celebration of the 90th birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. A particular and very big thank you to you, Your Highness Sheikh Nahayyan bin Mubarak Al Nahayyan, and to […]
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25th February 2016 London, UK
The UK and UAE Space Agencies this week signed a Memorandum of Understanding to create a strategic space partnership. This will open the way for extensive cooperation between our two countries in space research, scientific missions and the search for popular applications. The MoU was signed bu UK Space Agency Chief Executive, Dr David Parker, […]
7th February 2016 London, UK
As we approach the fifth anniversary of the civil war in Syria, the most urgent humanitarian catastrophe of our time continues. A quarter of a million lives have been lost. The international community must significantly step up its efforts and act now to support the 18 million people in Syria and neighbouring countries who are […]
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4th October 2015 London, UK
I arrived in the UAE in 2011, not long after the Global Financial Crisis, with many questions unanswered about the future of Dubai’s economic model. The recovery has exceeded most expectations (though His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum sets his own extraordinarily high standards – see below). It has been a privilege in […]
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