Overview
- The three-day state visit, which began Tuesday, opened at Windsor Castle with a royal gun salute, a carriage procession through Windsor and a military guard of honour followed by a state banquet.
- Prime Minister Andy Burnham will hold formal talks with Sultan Haitham on Wednesday after the sultan briefed the prime minister on security in the Strait of Hormuz during a call on Monday.
- Oman sits on the western shore of the Strait of Hormuz and has pursued a neutral, mediating role between regional parties while reporting attacks such as drone and missile strikes against its territory.
- Britain and Oman maintain deep defence links, including Royal Air Force personnel embedded with the Omani air force and support from the Duqm naval facility for British operations in the Gulf.
- The visit is the first state visit by an Omani ruler since 1982, marks Andy Burnham's first state banquet as prime minister, and does not involve the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in official royal engagements.