The death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, 2022, has consumed social media and the media worldwide. Following months of speculation and concern about her health, as the longest-reigning British monarch missed numerous official functions and began to appear increasingly fragile, Queen Elizabeth II died surrounded by close family members at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. She has visited 125 different countries on 7 continents during her reign, many of which have been Commonwealth countries. However, there are a few that stand out for their Arab origin – the Arab states that the Queen has visited throughout her reign.
Elizabeth’s first visit to the Middle East as Queen was to Libya, then a monarchy. It would be over a decade until she would visit an Arab state again, witnessed by her trips to Khartoum and El-Obeid in Sudan in February 1965, aged 38.
1957 – Kuwait
The Queen first visited Kuwait in 1957, whilst it was still under the rule of the al-Sabah family. It was only declared a fully independent nation in 1961, at which point the British withdrew from their base there. Many people believe that the Kuwaiti ruling family is related to the British Royal Family, although there has never been any confirmed proof of this.
1961 – Iraq and Syria
The Queen visited Iraq in 1961 and Syria in the same year. At the time, Iraq was still under the rule of King Feisal II, who had been in control since he was three years old. Upon his death in the 1970s, Iraq became a republic. Syria’s ruler was President Shukri al-Quwatli, who was in power until his death in 1963. He was replaced by Dr. Nazim al-Suwaydani, who was in charge of the country until 1965, when he was overthrown by President Amin al-Hafiz.
1969 – Qatar and Bahrain
In 1969, the Queen visited both Qatar and Bahrain. Qatar at the time was under the rule of Sheikh Ahmad ibn al-Thani. In the case of Bahrain, the ruler was Sheikh Isa ibn Sulman al-Qahtani. At the time of the Queen’s visit, both countries were still under British protection.
1977 – Oman and United Arab Emirates
The Queen visited Oman in 1977 as part of a tour of the Arabian peninsula. At the time of this visit, the ruler of Oman was Sultan Qaboos, who was in power from 1970 until his death in 2016. The ruler of the United Arab Emirates at this time was Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who is still in charge of the state today.
1997-99 – Egypt, Yemen and Jordan
The Queen made a visit to Egypt in 1997, where she met with President Hosni Mubarak. He was in power until 2011, when the Egyptian revolution occurred. The Queen also made a visit to Yemen in 1997, as well as to Jordan in the same year. The ruler of Egypt at this time was President Hosni Mubarak, who was in power until 2011, when the Egyptian revolution occurred. The ruler of Yemen was President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was President until his death, which occurred in 2017. In the case of Jordan, King Hussein was still in power at the time of the Queen’s visit.
2002 – Morocco
The Queen made a visit to Morocco in 2002. At the time of this visit, the country was still under the rule of King Mohammed VI. He was in power until he died in 2019. The Queen has visited many Arab nations, and continues to do so as part of her extensive international travel. Many of the nations that she has visited have been in the Middle East, which is an area that will likely remain relevant for years to come.
 She has visited 125 different countries on 7 continents during her reign, many of which have been Commonwealth countries. However, there are a few that stand out for their Arab origin – the Arab states that the Queen has visited throughout her reign. Many of the nations that she has visited have been in the Middle East, which is an area that will remain relevant for the UK for years to come.
Image Credit: Mark de Jong
