Muscat: Omani national Soomar Kamal Al Zadjali, one of the oldest employees at the British Embassy in Muscat, has a special reason to be happy about the visit of Queen Elizabeth II, who attended an official banquet on Friday at Al Alam Palace.
The driver to the British Ambassador in Oman, who has been awarded an MBE, is in his final year of service, but vividly recalls the British monarch's 1979 visit when she sailed from the UAE to Oman on the royal yacht Britannia.
Al Zadjali is optimistic that he will get to meet the Queen when she visits British Ambassador Dr Noel Guckian's official residence for a community event today. Al Zadjali, who has worked as driver at the embassy under 11 ambassadors, is due to retire at the end of this year.
He was introduced to the Queen during her 1979 visit by then Ambassador C.J. Treadwell. "It is strange that although the visit took place 31 years ago, it feels like yesterday," he said in a comment posted on the British Embassy website.
"I still vividly remember greeting the Queen at the British Ambassador's residence in old Muscat with the rest of the staff. I'm really happy that I would see her again just one month before my retirement," he said.
"I don't think she would remember me from all those years ago, but it would certainly be an honour to meet her again," he added.
