Last updated: Wednesday, March 13, 2013 12:07 AM
Adapted from Roberta Fedele’s article in Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH — The British Consulate hosted on Monday the first-ever celebrations in Jeddah of the Commonwealth Day, an annual festivity held on the second Monday of March every year by the 54 member states of the intergovernmental organization Commonwealth of Nations. Hosted by British Consul General Mohammed Shokat on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II, the head of the Commonwealth, the event saw the participation of all the Consuls General of member states accredited in Jeddah, among others from Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, South Africa and the Head of Protocol Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Mohammed Nabeel Bukhari.
“I have the great honor and privilege of hosting today the first and hopefully not the last Commonwealth Day celebrations in Jeddah based on this year’s theme ‘Opportunity through Enterprise'. Primarily composed by former members of the British Empire, explained Shokat, the Commonwealth is an association that transcends historical ties. It represents today two billion people in 54 countries with diverse social, political and economic backgrounds united around shared values of democracy, freedom, peace, rule of law, free trade and opportunity for all.
In accordance with tradition, Queen Elizabeth II and the current Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma sent their annual official messsages to Commonwealth countries that Shokat and Indian Consul General Faiz Ahmed Kidwai read on their behalf. Official speeches were followed by a cutting the cake ceremony and a delicious buffet comprising a variety of culinary specialties from Malaysia, Bangladesh, Singapore, South Africa, Pakistan, Nigeria, Gambia, Brunei, Cameroon, Ghana, Tanzania, Sri Lanka and India provided by the Consuls General of these countries.
Dr. Mohammed Nabeel Bukhari of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (in the middle) joins the Consuls General of Commonwealth countries i.e. UK. India and Malaysia to cut the ceremonial cake. – SG photos