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Simon Collis
Simon Paul Collis, (23 February 1956) is a former British ambassador to several Middle Eastern countries before retiring from diplomatic service in February 2020. Biography Collis was educated at King Edward VII School, Sheffield, from 1967 until 1973 and at Christ's College, Cambridge. He joined Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service in 1978 and served his first posting as Second Secretary in Bahrain from 1981 to 1984. From 1984– 1986 he served as Middle East Spokesman in the News Department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. In 1986 he temporarily served at the UK mission in New York. From 1987 to 1988 he was Head of India Section in the South Asia Department. From 1988 to 1990 he was Deputy Head of Mission in Tunis. From 1990 to 1991 he was in the Gulf War Emergency Unit. From 1991 to 1994 he served as First Secretary in New Delhi, India. From 1994 to 1996 he was Deputy Head of the Near East & North Africa Department. From 1996 to 1999 he was Deputy Head of Mission in Amma ...
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List Of Ambassadors Of The United Kingdom To Saudi Arabia
The Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Saudi Arabia is the United Kingdom's foremost diplomatic representative in Saudi Arabia, and in charge of the UK's diplomatic mission in Saudi Arabia. The official title is ''His Britannic Majesty's Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia''. List of heads of mission Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary *1930–1936: Sir Andrew Ryan *1936–1939: Sir Reader Bullard *1940–1943: Hugh Stonehewer-Bird *1943–1945: Stanley Jordan *1945–1947: Sir Laurence Grafftey-Smith Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary *1947–1951: Alan Trott *1951–1955: Clinton Pelham *1955: Harold Beeley *1955–1956: Roderick Parkes *1956–1963: ''Diplomatic relations severed due to Suez Crisis'' *1963–1964: Sir Colin Crowe *1964–1968: Morgan Man *1968: Horace Phillips (rejected by Saudi government) *1968–1972: Sir Willie Morris *1972–1976: Sir Alan Rothnie *1976–1979: Sir John Wilton *1979–1984: Sir James Craig *1984–19 ...
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David Ross MacLennan
David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the Kings of Israel and Judah, third king of the Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy), United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Canaanite and Aramaic inscriptions, Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Damascus in the late 9th/early 8th centuries BCE to commemorate a victory over two enemy kings, contains the phrase (), which is translated as "Davidic line, House of David" by most scholars. The Mesha Stele, erected by King Mesha of Moab in the 9th century BCE, may also refer to the "House of David", although this is disputed. According to Jewish works such as the ''Seder Olam Rabbah'', ''Seder Olam Zutta'', and ''Sefer ha-Qabbalah'' (all written over a thousand years later), David ascended the throne as the king of Judah in 885 BCE. Apart from this, all that is known of David comes from biblical literature, Historicity of the Bible, the historicit ...
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Hajj
Hajj (; ; also spelled Hadj, Haj or Haji) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for capable Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by all adult Muslims who are physically and financially capable of undertaking the journey, and of supporting their family during their absence from home. In Islamic terminology, Hajj is a pilgrimage made to the Kaaba, the "House of Allah", in the sacred city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. It is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, alongside (oath that one believes there is no god but Allah), (prayer), (almsgiving), and (fasting during Ramadan). The Hajj is an annual practice when Muslim brotherhood is on display and their solidarity with fellow Muslim people and submission to God (Allah) is fulfilled. The Hajj is taken by Muslims to cleanse their souls of all worldly sins, which connotes both the outward act of a journey after death and th ...
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2014 Birthday Honours
The 2014 Birthday Honours were appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms of Elizabeth II, Queen Elizabeth II to Orders and decorations of the Commonwealth realms, various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded as part of the Queen's Official Birthday celebrations during the month of June. The Queen's Birthday Honours were announced on 14 June 2014 in the United Kingdom, on 9 June 2014 in Australia, on 2 June 2014 in New Zealand, on 14 June 2014 in Grenada, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia and Belize. The recipients of honours are displayed as they were styled before their new honour and arranged by the country (in order of precedence) whose ministers advised The Queen on the appointments, then by honour with grades i.e. Knight/Dame Grand Cross, Knight/Dame Commander etc. and then divisions i.e. Civil, Diplomatic and Military as appropriate. United Kingdom The 2014 Queen' ...
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Companion Of The Order Of St Michael And St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince of Wales (the future King George IV), while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III. It is named in honour of two military saints, Michael and George. The Order of St Michael and St George was originally awarded to those holding commands or high position in the Mediterranean territories acquired in the Napoleonic Wars, and it was subsequently extended to holders of similar office or position in other territories of the British Empire. It is at present awarded to men and women who hold high office or who render extraordinary or important non-military service to the United Kingdom in a foreign country, and it can also be conferred for important or loyal service in relation to foreign and Commonwealth affairs. Description The three classes of appointment to the Order are, from highest grade to lowest grade: # Knight ...
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United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab Emirates, seven emirates, with Abu Dhabi serving as its capital. It shares land borders with Oman to the east and northeast, and with Saudi Arabia to the southwest; as well as maritime borders in the Persian Gulf with Qatar and Iran, and with Oman in the Gulf of Oman. , the UAE has an estimated population of over 10 million, of which 11% are Emiratis; Dubai is List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, its most populous city and is an international hub. Islam is the State religion, official religion and Arabic is the official language, while English is the most spoken language and the language of business. The United Arab Emirates Oil reserves in the United Arab Emirates, oil and natural gas reserves are the world's List of countries by pr ...
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Dubai
Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the List of cities in the United Arab Emirates#Major cities, most populous city in the United Arab Emirates and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai. It is located on a Dubai Creek, creek on the south-eastern coast of the Persian Gulf, Persian Gulf. As of 2025, the city population stands at 4 million, 92% of whom are Expatriates in the United Arab Emirates, expatriates. The wider urban area includes Sharjah and has a population of 5 million people as of 2023,https://www.demographia.com/db-worldua.pdf while the Dubai–Sharjah–Ajman metropolitan area counts 6 million inhabitants. Founded in the early 18th century as a Cultured pearl, pearling and fishing settlement, Dubai became a regional trade hub in the 20th century after declaring itself a f ...
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Jordan
Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories to the west. The Jordan River, flowing into the Dead Sea, is located along the country's western border within the Jordan Rift Valley. Jordan has a small coastline along the Red Sea in its southwest, separated by the Gulf of Aqaba from Egypt. Amman is the country's capital and List of cities in Jordan, largest city, as well as the List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, most populous city in the Levant. Inhabited by humans since the Paleolithic period, three kingdoms developed in Transjordan (region), Transjordan during the Iron Age: Ammon, Moab and Edom. In the third century BC, the Arab Nabataeans established Nabataean Kingdom, their kingdom centered in Petra. The Greco-Roman world, Greco-Roman period saw the ...
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Amman
Amman ( , ; , ) is the capital and the largest city of Jordan, and the country's economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of four million as of 2021, Amman is Jordan's primate city and is the largest city in the Levant region, the fifth-largest city in the Arab world, and the tenth-largest metropolitan area in the Middle East. The earliest evidence of settlement in Amman dates to the 8th millennium BC in 'Ain Ghazal, home to the world's oldest statues of the human form. During the Iron Age, the city was known as ''Rabat Aman'', the capital of the Ammonite Kingdom. In the 3rd century BC, the city was renamed ''Philadelphia'' and became one of the ten Greco-Roman cities of the Decapolis. Later, in the 7th century AD, the Rashidun Caliphate renamed the city Amman. Throughout most of the Islamic era, the city alternated between periods of devastation and periods of relative prosperity. Amman was largely abandoned during the Ottoman period from the 15 ...
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India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since 2023; and, since its independence in 1947, the world's most populous democracy. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast, it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west; China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the north; and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is near Sri Lanka and the Maldives; its Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand, Myanmar, and Indonesia. Modern humans arrived on the Indian subcontinent from Africa no later than 55,000 years ago., "Y-Chromosome and Mt-DNA data support the colonization of South Asia by modern humans originating in Africa. ... Coalescence dates for most non-European populations averag ...
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New Delhi
New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament House, New Delhi, Sansad Bhavan, and the Supreme Court of India, Supreme Court. New Delhi is a Municipal governance in India, municipality within the NCT, administered by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), which covers mostly Lutyens' Delhi and a few adjacent areas. The municipal area is part of a larger List of districts in India, administrative district, the New Delhi district. Although colloquially ''Delhi'' and ''New Delhi'' are used interchangeably to refer to the National Capital Territory of Delhi, both are distinct entities, with the municipality and the New Delhi district forming a relatively small part within the megacity of Delhi. The National Capital Region (India), National Capital Region is an even larger entity, compris ...
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Tunis
Tunis (, ') is the capital city, capital and largest city of Tunisia. The greater metropolitan area of Tunis, often referred to as "Grand Tunis", has about 2,700,000 inhabitants. , it is the third-largest city in the Maghreb region (after Casablanca and Algiers) and the List of largest cities in the Arab world, eleventh-largest in the Arab world. Situated on the Gulf of Tunis, behind the Lake of Tunis and the port of La Goulette (Ḥalq il-Wād), the city extends along the coastal plain and the hills that surround it. At its core lies the Medina of Tunis, Medina, a World Heritage Site. East of the Medina, through the Sea Gate (also known as the ''Bab el Bhar'' and the ''Porte de France''), begins the modern part of the city called "Ville Nouvelle", traversed by the grand Avenue Habib Bourguiba (often referred to by media and travel guides as "the Tunisian Champs-Élysées"), where the colonial-era buildings provide a clear contrast to smaller, older structures. Further east by th ...
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