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Tribune News Network
Doha
DEPUTY Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs HE Dr Khalid bin Mohammad al Attiyah attended the dinner hosted by the Defence Section of the British Embassy at the Shangri-La Hotel as the guest of honour recently.
The dinner was organised to commemorate 100th birthday of the Royal Air Force celebrated on Tuesday.
Attiyah conveyed his personal best wishes and congratulations to the embassy officials on the occasion. The RAF was the first unified air force in the world to be independent of army and navy control; since its formation, it has been at the forefront in resolving crises, conflicts and, importantly, in carrying out humanitarian operations to save lives.
The dinner hosted by Air Marshal Stuart Atha was attended by the RAF's Deputy Commander Operations and Commander of the Qatar Amiri Air Force HE Staff Major General (pilot) Mubarak bin Mohammed al Khayarin.
Senior airmen from the United Kingdom and Qatar gathered together to reflect on a century of RAF achievement and to look forward to the next 100 years, which will begin with the formation of a joint UK/Qatari Typhoon Squadron.
Attendees at the dinner hosted by Air Marshal Stuart Atha, included Commander of the Qatar Amiri Air Force HE Staff Major General (pilot) HE Mubarak bin Mohammed al Khayarin, HE Ajay Sharma, Air Chief Marshall Sir Glenn Torpy, Air Chief Marshal Sir Simon Bryant, Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford, Major General Ali Abdulla al Muhannadi, Air Commodore Patrick O'Donnell, Air Commodore Roddy Dennis, Brigadier Yousef Shaheen al Ateeq, Colonel Mohammad al Mansoori and Lieutenant Colonel Faisel al Ghanem.
Also attending were senior members of BAE Systems and RAF personnel deployed at Al-Udeid Air Base, including Senior Aircraftsman Tom Elwick, the most junior airman on the Base.
Air Marshal Stuart Atha said:"It is a great pleasure to host such a significant event here in Doha. Throughout its first 100 years, the RAF has been innovative and involved in operations across the globe, and I don't see that changing over the next century. Key to our continued success will be partnerships and none is more important than that between the RAF and the Qatari Air Force. The joint Typhoon squadron is an exciting opportunity to develop relationships and to deliver a world class capability. I am delighted to be in Doha and to have the opportunity to commemorate the RAF's past, celebrate its present and to look to the future with optimism and confidence in the company of senior Qatari aviators."
