Locals, expats in Saudi Arabia and UAE tune in to a new era in UK history with coronation of King Charles III 

King Charles III, the then Prince of Wales, visited the UAE for the first time in 1989, accompanied by Princess Diana. (FILE/GETTY IMAGES)
Short Url
Updated 08 May 2023
Follow

Locals, expats in Saudi Arabia and UAE tune in to a new era in UK history with coronation of King Charles III 

  • May 6 coronation of King Charles III is the first in 70 years following the death of Queen Elizabeth II 
  • Many Gulf expats and locals are preparing to watch the ceremony either at home or in a public venue 

DUBAI/RIYADH: When King Charles III, the then Prince of Wales, visited the UAE for the first time in 1989, accompanied by Princess Diana, many people were desperate to catch a glimpse of the royal couple.

Much has changed in the world in the 34 years since then, but the general fascination with the British royal family has not. With the last coronation being 70 years ago, May 6 marks a new beginning for the UK since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, 2022.

Many residents of Dubai will be tuning in to watch the coronations of King Charles and Queen Camilla. Rooted in tradition, pomp and pageantry, the event will be a uniquely British affair, though people will be watching worldwide.

Isobel Abulhoul, who was born in Cambridge, has lived in the UAE since 1968 and now calls Dubai home. She said she was just three years old when her parents bought a small black-and-white television so that they could watch the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. She plans to watch the first coronation to take place since then with some of her children and grandchildren.

Abulhoul has her own royal connection. In 2008, she established the much-loved Emirates Airline Festival of Literature in the UAE. Four years later, Queen Elizabeth awarded her the Order of the British Empire, one of the highest honors that can be bestowed on a citizen of the British Commonwealth. She received the award during a special ceremony from the future King Charles.

“What I would say about King Charles III is he has always been way ahead of his time in his care and concern about the environment. He brings a wealth of that experience to his role as the king."

She added that she is looking forward to the ceremonial aspect of the coronation, even though Charles has decided to scale it down to some degree in recognition of the ways in which the world has changed since his mother was crowned.

A number of challenges lie ahead for the UK during the reign of the new monarch. The country is dealing with high inflation, ongoing Brexit woes, and some major political debates. Some even call into question the very future of the monarchy in the modern world.

Nadia Taha, a communications manager in Dubai who was born to a Palestinian father and an English mother, grew up near Manchester. She feels that watching the coronation while baking scones will help her feel closer to her family in England.

“I know we’re going to be constantly on WhatsApp, commenting on what’s happening,” she told Arab News. “I must say I'm looking forward to the outfits and hats — I’m a big fan. It’s just nice to connect with them over something we have in common.”

Tracy Alisa Jones, a UK expat who works as a nurse in the Kingdom, plans to watch the coronation on social media and attend the live showing at the British Embassy in Riyadh.

“I am very sad our queen has passed but excited to welcome a new king. It is time for a new perspective on the monarchy. It is also wonderful to have William as the prince of Wales, my home nation,” she said.

Jones looks forward to a future filled with positive changes for young people through the embrace of new ideas.

“It opens the path for a more tolerant monarchy, (and) younger ideas with deeper impact for ordinary people. King Charles is the founder of The Prince’s Trust, which has helped thousands of young people. The coronation is a bright spark in what has been a gloomy few years.”

Speaking to Arab News, Mohsin Tutla, British citizen and chairman of the World Hajj and Umrah Care Foundation, said: “King Charles has won the hearts of the Muslim community and that of my own. Being in Saudi Arabia, I would not be there to see the coronation, but I would join the ceremonial events organized by the British Consulate and British Embassy and watch the coronation along with other British citizens living in Saudi Arabia.”

Tutla added that were he in the UK, he would be celebrating in the traditional British way by walking down the streets waving the Union Jack flag.

“King Charles has always had strong support for the Muslim community of the UK. He has joined the opening of masjids (and inaugurated) the largest Hajj exhibition in the western world, which was presented at the British Museum in conjunction with the Saudi government in London in 2012,” he said.

There is also interest among people from other countries. Iman Coccellato, a fashion designer from France who recently moved to Dubai, told Arab News that he would be watching the coronation.

“It is an important moment in history, regardless of one’s personal feelings toward Charles and Camilla,” he said. “Although England is no longer a part of Europe (after the UK left the EU), it still holds a special place in our hearts.”

From a professional perspective, he regards the ceremony as a significant and symbolic cultural moment for which the royal couple and their guests will be dressed to the nines, and he believes the outfits they wear “can have a significant impact on fashion trends and set the tone for future style choices.”

Expat celebrations will not be limited to watching the coronation on television in their homes; some restaurants, bars and other venues popular with expatriates will be hosting coronation parties.

Among them is the luxurious ocean liner-turned-floating hotel, the Queen Elizabeth II. Now docked at Port Rashid in Dubai, it has a special connection with King Charles III, who was reportedly its first “passenger,” as a 20-year-old prince, during its maiden voyage in 1969.

To mark the momentous occasion of the coronation, the QE2, as it is known, is offering special packages for the three-day coronation weekend that include afternoon teas, a gala ball, overnight stays, and heritage tours of the ship. On coronation day itself, two special luncheons will take place in spacious rooms fitted with large TVs on which the event will be screened live.

“We’re hugely excited because we didn’t expect the interest — it was phenomenal,” the QE2’s general manager, Irish hotelier Ferghal Purcell, told Arab News.

In September last year, the QE2 hosted special events marking the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, during which 3,200 people attended and signed the venue’s books of condolence.

“Sadly, in October we were the center point in the UAE for the condolences of her majesty. So it’s been a little surreal for us. Here we are, within the year, planning for the coronation of King Charles III.”

Purcell said some of the QE2’s coronation events sold out quickly after they were announced this month, and about 1,000 guests are expected to attend.

“In my opinion,” he said. “There won’t be any place else outside of the UK that will celebrate it like we’re going to celebrate it.”

 


Trump says two weeks is ‘maximum’ for Iran decision

Updated 53 min 45 sec ago
Follow

Trump says two weeks is ‘maximum’ for Iran decision

  • Trump also played down the possibility of asking Israel to halt its attacks
  • The US president dismissed the chance of success in talks between European powers and Iran

MORRISTOWN, United States: President Donald Trump said Friday that Iran had a “maximum” of two weeks to avoid possible US air strikes, indicating he could take a decision before the fortnight deadline he set a day earlier.

Trump added that Iran “doesn’t want to talk to Europe,” dismissing the chance of success in talks between European powers and Iran in Geneva on resolving the conflict between Israel and Iran.

Trump also played down the possibility of asking Israel to halt its attacks, after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would not resume talks with the United States until Israel relented.

“I’m giving them a period of time, and I would say two weeks would be the maximum,” Trump told reporters when asked if he could decide to strike Iran before that.

He added that the aim was to “see whether or not people come to their senses.”

Trump had said in a statement on Thursday that he would “make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks” because there was a “substantial chance of negotiations” with Iran.

Those comments had been widely seen as opening a two-week window for negotiations to end the war between Israel and Iran, with the European powers rushing to talks with Tehran.

But his latest remarks indicated that Trump could still make his decision before that if he feels that there has been no progress toward dismantling Iran’s nuclear program.

Trump dismissed the chances of Europe making a difference, saying the talks between Britain, France, Germany and EU diplomats and Tehran’s foreign minister “didn’t help.”

“Iran doesn’t want to speak to Europe. They want to speak to us. Europe is not going to be able to help in this,” Trump told reporters as he arrived in Morristown, New Jersey.

Asked if he would ask Israel to stop its attacks as Iran had asked, Trump said it was “very hard to make that request right now.”

“If somebody’s winning, it’s a little bit harder to do than if somebody’s losing, but we’re ready, willing and able, and we’ve been speaking to Iran, and we’ll see what happens.”


In Istanbul, top Arab League diplomats discuss Iran-Israel war

Updated 20 June 2025
Follow

In Istanbul, top Arab League diplomats discuss Iran-Israel war

  • The ministers were in Turkiye’s largest city on the eve of weekend gathering of the OIC
  • Some 40 top diplomats are slated to join the weekend gathering

ISTANBUL: Arab League foreign ministers gathered in Istanbul late Friday to discuss the escalating war between Iran and Israel, Turkish state news agency Anadolu said, quoting diplomatic sources.

The ministers were in Turkiye’s largest city on the eve of weekend gathering of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which was also slated to discuss the air war launched a week ago.

Israel began its assault in the early hours of June 13, saying Iran was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons, triggering an immediate immediate retaliation from Tehran in the worst-ever confrontation between the two arch-rivals.

Some 40 top diplomats are slated to join the weekend gathering of the OIC which will also have a session dedicated to discussing the Iran-Israel crisis, the Turkish foreign ministry said.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who met with his counterparts from Britain, France and Germany in Geneva on Friday, will also attend and address the diplomats, the ministry said.

Earlier on Friday, Araghchi said Tehran was ready to “consider diplomacy” again only if Israel’s “aggression is stopped.”

The Arab League ministers were expected to release a statement following their meeting, Anadolu said.


US to move third aircraft carrier closer to Mideast conflict

Updated 20 June 2025
Follow

US to move third aircraft carrier closer to Mideast conflict

  • Navy official confirms USS Gerald R. Ford will depart for Europe next week
  • USS Carl Vinson carrier strike group already in Middle East, soon to be joined by USS Nimitz

WASHINGTON: The USS Gerald R. Ford will depart for Europe next week, a Navy official said Friday, placing a third American aircraft carrier in closer proximity to the Middle East as Israel and Iran trade strikes.
Israel launched an unprecedented air campaign against Iran last week, and US President Donald Trump has said he is weighing whether to join Israel in the fight.
“The Gerald Ford carrier strike group will depart Norfolk (Virginia) the morning of June 24 for a regularly scheduled deployment to the US European Command area of responsibility,” the Navy official said.
The USS Carl Vinson carrier strike group has been operating in the Middle East since earlier this year, taking part in an air campaign against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
And a US defense official has confirmed that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth ordered the Nimitz carrier strike group to the Middle East, saying it was “to sustain our defensive posture and safeguard American personnel.”
Trump said Thursday he will decide whether to join Israel’s strikes on Iran within the next two weeks, citing a chance of negotiations to end the conflict.
That deadline comes after a tense few days in which the US president publicly mulled hitting Iran and said that Tehran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was an “easy target.”
Trump had spent weeks pursuing a diplomatic path toward a deal to replace the nuclear deal with Iran that he tore up in his first term in 2018, but has since backed Israel’s attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities and military top brass.
A key issue is that the United States is the only country with the huge “bunker buster” bombs that could destroy Iran’s crucial Fordo nuclear enrichment plant.
A number of key figures in his “Make America Great Again” movement have vocally opposed US strikes on Iran, and Trump’s promise to extract the United States from its “forever wars” in the Middle East played a role in his 2016 and 2024 election wins.


GCC chief hails UN adoption of landmark resolution on strategic cooperation

Updated 20 June 2025
Follow

GCC chief hails UN adoption of landmark resolution on strategic cooperation

  • Jasem Albudaiwi describes agreement between the organizations as a major step forward in deepening regional and international collaboration
  • Its adoption reflects the respected status of the GCC as a proactive regional partner in efforts to support global peace and security, he adds

RIYADH: The secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Jasem Albudaiwi, on Friday welcomed the adoption by the UN General Assembly of a landmark resolution on collaboration between the organizations.

He described the agreement, formally titled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Gulf Cooperation Council” and the first of its kind, as a major step forward in deepening regional and international collaboration, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The resolution, adopted on Monday, was submitted to the UN on behalf of GCC member states by Kuwait, which currently holds the presidency of the regional organization.

Albudaiwi said its adoption reflects the respected status of the GCC as a proactive regional partner in efforts to support global peace and security. It signifies a new phase of strategic partnership between the organizations, he added, underscored by concrete plans and activities to enhance cooperation.

He praised Kuwait for the diplomatic efforts of the nation’s mission to the UN in New York, and said the success of the resolution embodies the spirit of unity within the GCC and its commitment to working constructively with international partners across multilateral platforms.


19 injured in Israeli port after Iran missile barrage

Updated 20 June 2025
Follow

19 injured in Israeli port after Iran missile barrage

  • Projectile slammed into an area by the docks in Haifa on Friday afternoon

JERUSALEM: At least 19 people were injured in the northern Israeli port city of Haifa as Iran fired a fresh barrage of missiles on Friday afternoon, authorities said.
Iran has been launching daily missile salvos at Israel for the past week since a wide-ranging Israeli attack on its nuclear and military facilities triggered war.
One projectile slammed into an area by the docks in Haifa on Friday afternoon where it damaged a building and blew out windows, littering the ground with rubble, AFP images showed.
Israel’s foreign ministry said it struck “next to” the Al-Jarina mosque.
The locations of missile strikes in Israel are subject to strict military censorship rules and are not always provided in detail to the public.
A spokesman for Haifa’s Rambam hospital said 19 people had been injured in the city, with one in a serious condition.
A military official said that “approximately 20 missiles were launched toward Israel” in the latest Iranian salvo.
More than 450 missiles have been fired at the country so far, along with about 400 drones, according to Israel’s National Public Diplomacy Directorate.
The directorate added that the country’s tax authority had received over 25,000 claims linked to damage caused to buildings during the war.
Israel launched a massive wave of strikes on June 13, triggering an immediate retaliation from Tehran.
Residential areas in both countries have suffered, while Israel and Iran have traded accusations of targeting civilians.
At least 25 people have been killed in Israel by Iranian missile strikes, according to authorities.
Iran said on Sunday that Israeli strikes had killed at least 224 people, including military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. It has not updated the toll since.