King Charles welcomes Omani sultan, hails peace efforts in UK state visit

Britain’s King Charles III delivers a speech at a state banquet at Windsor Castle on October 20, 2026, the first day of the sultan of Oman’s three-day state visit to the United Kingdom [AFP]

Britain’s King Charles III has welcomed Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq for a state visit, praising the Gulf Arab monarch’s efforts to broker peace in the region.

Haitham bin Tariq said his country has chosen the path of diplomacy in a region rife with conflict, following a day of ceremonies including a reception by a red-uniformed military honour guard at Windsor Castle.

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“In a region that has known too much conflict, Oman has chosen a different path, an independent path,” the Omani ruler said during a state banquet on Tuesday.

“Britain has been a friend on this path and has stood beside us in this duty,” he added.

King Charles III praised Oman’s peacemaking attempts in the Middle East, paying tribute to Muscat’s “noble efforts” to help reopen the choked Strait of Hormuz.

“I would especially like to recognise, at a time when conflict has returned so painfully to the region, Oman’s enduring commitment as a trusted interlocutor to all parties,” Charles told about 160 guests at the lavish dinner.

“Oman’s role across the Gulf and her ‘constructive neutrality’, as you put it, matters far beyond Hormuz, and is worthy of our utmost respect,” Britain’s king added in a toast to the Omani sultan.

The sultan’s visit, the first state visit to Britain by a sultan of Oman in 44 years, comes amid severe turbulence in the Middle East prompted by the Iran war.

Oman, a key United Kingdom military ally which borders the vital Hormuz waterway, has acted as a mediator in talks between the United States and Iran since the US-Israel war against Iran started in late February.

The Omani sultan is due to hold talks on Wednesday in Downing Street with Prime Minister Andy Burnham, where security, trade and investment are expected to be high on the agenda.

Burnham was among those at Tuesday’s banquet, alongside the chief executives of Shell, BP and Airbus, as well as various royals and other dignitaries.

2026年10月20日，英国国王查尔斯三世在温莎城堡举行的国宴上发表讲话，当天是阿曼苏丹对英国进行为期三天国事访问的第一天。[法新社]

英国国王查理三世欢迎阿曼苏丹海赛姆·本·塔里克进行国事访问，并赞扬这位海湾阿拉伯君主为促成该地区和平所做的努力。

海赛姆·本·塔里克表示，他的国家在一个冲突不断的地区选择了外交道路。此前，他出席了一系列仪式，其中包括在温莎城堡接受身着红色制服的仪仗队的欢迎。

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“在一个饱受冲突蹂躏的地区，阿曼选择了一条不同的道路，一条独立自主的道路，”阿曼统治者周二在国宴上说道。

“英国一直是我们在这条道路上的朋友，并一直与我们并肩履行这项职责，”他补充道。

查理三世国王赞扬了阿曼在中东的和平努力，并对马斯喀特为帮助重新开放被堵塞的霍尔木兹海峡所做的“高尚努力”表示敬意。

“在冲突再次痛苦地重燃该地区之际，我尤其要感谢阿曼作为各方值得信赖的对话者的持久承诺，”查尔斯在盛大的晚宴上对大约 160 位宾客说道。

“正如你所说，阿曼在整个海湾地区扮演的角色及其‘建设性中立’意义远远超出霍尔木兹海峡，值得我们最高的敬意，”英国国王在向阿曼苏丹敬酒时补充道。

苏丹此次访问是44年来阿曼苏丹首次对英国进行国事访问，正值伊朗战争引发中东局势动荡之际。

阿曼是英国重要的军事盟友，与重要的霍尔木兹水道接壤。自2月底美国和以色列对伊朗发动战争以来，阿曼一直担任美国和伊朗之间谈判的调解人。

阿曼苏丹将于周三在唐宁街与英国首相安迪·伯纳姆举行会谈，预计安全、贸易和投资将是会谈的重要议题。

伯纳姆也出席了周二的宴会，与他一同出席的还有壳牌、英国石油和空客的首席执行官，以及多位皇室成员和其他政要。