important to them. Many of the events which will unfold over the weekend of the coronation will highlight areas that His Majesty is engaged in, such as the environment, small island developing states and the Commonwealth. I think it may surprise people with how modern and 21 st Century-focused it is rather than just pageantry. How many British nationals are currently residing in Bahrain? What are some of the key industries that they are involved in? There are approximately four to five thousand, which is a mixture of those who are here permanently and those who are semi-permanent working across the Eastern Province. They are employed in most professional fields you can imagine, whether that’s education, accountancy, law, medicine, engineering, architecture and more. What are the current trade figures between Bahrain and the UK? How do you believe these figures can further be enhanced? We’re in a really positive trajectory. In my time here alone, trade in terms of goods and services in both directions has doubled to a value of GBP2.6 billion. That exemplifies the shared prosperity goals that we have with Bahrain. Britain has interest in the huge infrastructure projects that are due to happen soon, such as the Bahrain Metro and the future Causeway, whilst education links are expanding rapidly with new schools and university associations. Furthermore, science and technology is going to be a major area of growth as Bahrain embraces its net zero goals and starts work on decarbonisation and transitioning to greener energy use in Bahrain over the coming decades, an area in which British firms have strong expertise. How has Brexit impacted the UK's relationship with Bahrain and the wider Gulf region? It has actually been a net benefit here in Bahrain. It has enabled us to just push on with our bilateral collaboration and we are pressing ahead with a free trade agreement. Bahrain is playing a very positive role in that and recently facilitated three rounds of negotiations with the GCC over the last six months, which are making real progress. A progressive deal will open up even more avenues for trade and investment in both directions, particularly opportunities for Bahraini businesses in the UK and vice-versa. What initiatives have been undertaken to promote cultural exchange between the two countries? I have witnessed numerous British orchestras, jazz bands and theatre groups coming here, whilst Bahrainis have performed in the UK too. One of the real joys for me here is that Bahrain is a very cultural place. It's somewhere that really appreciates other cultures whilst maintaining a very rich culture itself. How do you view the UK’s role in regional security and stability? We have a very strong security partnership with Bahrain, most obviously in areas including the Royal Navy support facility here, which is fantastic and enables us to work with partners and covert operations across this whole region. Of course, we do this in partnership with all of the Gulf navies and our American cousins. Every time you see a shipment of narcotics seized on the high seas, or a merchant ship is supported, that is part of the working together that comes through Bahrain. We also work very closely on cybersecurity and helping improve the resilience of the IT infrastructure in Bahrain, which is constantly under threat. Both countries trust each other, and with this security partnership we are able to then move forward in areas such as Visa arrangements. Your tenure in Bahrain will end later this year. Could you summarise your experience in Bahrain for us? Both my wife, Yasmin, and I have really enjoyed our time here, which was blighted only by the wretched COVID-19 virus, which curtailed things for a period. Nonetheless, it has been an absolute joy to be here as ambassador. It's a place that really takes you to its heart very quickly and we felt at home almost instantly. We have made a lot of friends who I hope will be friends for life and have never felt any barriers. People have been so kind and helped us through any difficulties and answered all questions we may have had. I commend the lucky man who is going to take over from me because I am sure he will have a lot of fun and contribute a lot to this important role. It is truly one of the best jobs I can imagine, so thank you Bahrain for having us! www.bahrainthismonth.com 9 May 2023 UK in Bahrain Scan for the filmed interview
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