Dame Susan Langley calls UK-Oman partnership vital to global trade security

• Dame Susan Langley addressed a Guildhall banquet for Sultan Haitham bin Tariq attended by more than 600 guests
• She highlighted the enduring friendship and strategic importance of bilateral ties

LONDON: The partnership between the UK and Oman is essential to protecting global trade routes and freedom of navigation, the City of London’s mayor said while addressing Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, the ruler of Oman.

Speaking on Wednesday at a banquet in Guildhall attended by more than 600 senior figures, Dame Susan Langley said the two countries are “separated by distance, but united by history and by a friendship that has endured for centuries.”

She added: “We are both outward-looking nations, shaped by the shorelines that surround us and the opportunities they bring. We understand that the freedom of the seas, the security of trade routes, and global stability are the foundations upon which prosperity and peace are built.”

Langley’s address came a day after King Charles welcomed the Omani ruler for a three-day state visit and praised the sultanate’s “noble efforts” to serve as a peacemaker in the Middle East.

Oman has played a central role in diplomatic negotiations to end the US-Iran war.

The sultanate occupies a “strategically important position” on the Strait of Hormuz, where freedom of navigation and the safe flow of maritime trade are vital to the UK and the global economy, according to a City of London press release.

Among those attending Wednesday’s banquet were senior business and political figures from the UK and Oman, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.

Langley praised Britain’s diplomatic and security partnership with Oman, saying the two countries are working together to respond to emerging threats.

“The greatest tribute we can pay to those who built our friendship is not simply to preserve what they created, but to make it stronger for the generations who follow,” she said.

“Because nations, like cities, never thrive by standing still. They thrive by adapting, innovating and having the courage to look forward.”

Langley also welcomed this year’s landmark UK-GCC free trade agreement, which is “opening the door to new markets, partnerships and opportunities.”

She added: “When uncertainty grows, we must deepen trust and never surrender to fear. And when the future seems less predictable, we must face it together, not apart.

“And tonight, within the walls of this ancient hall, we celebrate not simply what has been, but what is still to come. Because the greatest friendships hold true through adversity. They are those that step forward ready to face the future hand-in-hand.”

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