|
British citizens having strong
Oman link get OBE
By A Staff Reporter
MUSCAT — The Order of the
British Empire (OBE), an award given by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, has
been conferred on three British citizens with strong connections to the
Sultanate of Oman. This was stated in a press release issued by the British
Embassy here yesterday as the announcement was made in the 2010 New Year’s
Honours List. Stephen Thomas, CEO of Renaissance Group of companies has been
honoured for services to British interests abroad and to the British
community in Oman. He is one of the leading British businessmen in Oman and
is active in other, primarily British, Community Organizations including the
British Ambassador's Business Group and the Muscat Amateur Theatre.
Stephen is a strong advocate of the development of Omani nationals, both
within his own company and in his sponsorship of British Scholarships in
Oman (BSO), an organisation dedicated to enabling young talented Omanis to
study in the United Kingdom. He was a founder and former Chairman of OPAL
(Oman Society for Petroleum Services), an organisation that establishes and
monitors sound business practices in the many companies associated with the
oil industry.
His character and achievements were noted in Stephen's citation along with
other attributes that have earned him respect and admiration among Omani and
expatriate communities at all levels of society. He represents all those
qualities generally associated with the British: integrity, loyalty,
perseverance, commitment and modesty and these are much valued by the Omani
people, making him an important role model for Omanis, British and other
nationals alike.
The second recipient of the award, Roderic Dutton is a British Geographer
based at the University of Durham. He was honoured in recognition of his
service to higher education and research links between the UK and the Middle
East. His work in Oman has advanced agricultural development and protection
of the environment. He has generated much important academic research and
practical work which has greatly benefited Oman while giving great credit to
himself, and the UK's academic and development reputation.
As long ago as 1973, while at Durham University he participated in a
three-year research project whose study area extended from Al Khabourah on
Al Batinah coast to Ibri in Al Dhahirah — a cross-section of northern Oman.
This looked at soil, water, natural vegetation, the fishery, marketing,
farming, livestock and ways of providing information and ideas to the
government for small-scale development projects.
This led to the Government of Oman, with financial support from PDO, asking
the team to initiate some development activities. These were also based at
and around Al Khabourah and included the creation of a small-farm system for
semi-intensive rearing of sheep and goats, including the production of
irrigated forage and the use of their by-products for leather work,
dairying, spinning and weaving and compost. From 1988, at the request of the
then Minister of Agriculture, the work was widened to other parts of Al
Batinah and to the interior in a programme that continued until 1995.
After 1995 Roderic worked on aflaj with the then Ministry of Water Resources
and was also involved in the Rimal al Sharqiyah (Wahiba Sands) project,
created by the Royal Geographical Society. This studied aspects of
groundwater, geomorphology, flora and fauna and the different communities of
people in and around the sands — Bedouins, farmers and fishermen. Roderic
has been appointed as the Programme Director of the Oman Earthwatch
programme that will work through the National Centre for Field Research on
Conservation of the Environment.
The first two projects (of four in five years) will focus on the leopard of
Jabal Samhan, Dhofar and on the Arabian tahr in Wadi As Sareen. These
projects will be in partnership with concerned government departments. The
third recipient of the award, Commander Peter Moss was formerly the Naval
and Air Attaché at the British Embassy in Muscat, serving in the post from
2005-2009. As a former Naval Observer Cdr Moss served at many locations
around the world. In the Sultanate his efforts in working with his Omani
counterparts helped to develop the close defence relationship between the
two countries. |
