There was much to celebrate at Queen Elizabeth’s 91st birthday party, held Monday night at the British Consulate in Jeddah.
The annual ceremony contained a special award presentation by Simon Collis, the British ambassador to Saudi Arabia, to Faisal J. Abbas, the editor in chief of Arab News.
Abbas had won the 2017 British Council’s “Social Impact” award for UK alumni in Saudi Arabia, but was unable to attend the awards ceremony, which was held in Riyadh last February due to work commitments outside of the Kingdom. As such, the British Embassy — in coordination with the British Council and the Consulate in Jeddah — arranged for the award to be presented last night at the Queen’s birthday party.
Accepting the prize,  Abbas described it as “probably the most meaningful award that a journalist can ever dream of.” Adding that journalism is not a field that brings fame or fortune, before asking the audience to join him in saluting reporters on the front-line who risk their lives for social impact for making a difference.
Abbas is an alumnus of University of Westminster. The Social Impact Award recognises Abbas’ achievements in building bridges and narrowing cultural gaps between different cultures, addressing misconceptions of the Middle East and explaining the complexities of the area to an international audience.
Abbas studied on the Marketing Communications MA course at the Westminster Business School, graduating in 2010.
“My UK experience has been fantastic, I have been received with open arms, I have seen a culture that is so diverse, so tolerant that it is heart-warming. It is my sincere wish for this country, after last summer’s alarming Brexit vote, that it continues to be as tolerant and as open for that is the fabric that of what makes Britain great,” concluded Abbas addressing the audience at the ceremony.
This year’s Study UK Alumni Awards 2017 in Saudi Arabia received over 140 applications, of which nine finalists were selected via a competitive process.
The aim of the awards is to demonstrate the impact that a UK education can have on individuals worldwide, and to inspire others to reach their potential by studying in the UK.

Source: Arab News