The British Omani Society

What The British Omani Society does

The British Omani Society is a UK-registered charitable membership organisation founded in January 1976 (originally as The Anglo-Omani Society) that promotes bilateral relations between Britain and Oman through education, cultural exchange, and business networking. The Society is structured as a company limited by guarantee (Company No. 06708685) and a registered charity (No. 1127561), with HM Sultan Haitham bin Tarik serving as Patron and HE The Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman in London serving as President. It is headquartered at 34 Sackville Street, Mayfair, London, and operates as a non-profit with a small team of 1-10 staff supported by a board of approximately 18 trustees and vice presidents, including a Chairman (Major General (Retd) Richard Stanford CB MBE) and a Director (Michelle Potts).

The Society delivers a portfolio of programmes including a membership programme with an approval-based application process, an events programme spanning the UK, Oman, and online (encompassing the Annual General Meeting, Summer Business Reception, lectures, seminars, and webinars), an online Arabic Language Scheme, the Student Volunteers Oman Scheme (with exchange partnerships at GCET in Oman and UWE Bristol), a grant and bursary programme, the New Generation Group for youth engagement, business networking forums, podcasts, an annual review publication series spanning 2015-2025, a digital library, and venue hire at its Mayfair headquarters. Its core technology footprint is non-existent; the Society is not a technology company and uses its website (britishomani.org), social media channels (Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube), and standard digital content as supporting infrastructure rather than as a product.

Its business model is funded primarily through membership fees (charged upon application with up to a one-month approval window), supplemented by grants, donations, and venue hire income. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. Customer-facing channels include direct membership enrollment, in-person events in the UK and Oman, earned media coverage (e.g., Oman Observer), and an active social media presence across five major platforms. The Society's customer segments span youth (primary persona), culture-focused individuals, business communities in trade and healthcare, and environmental stakeholders, served through a horizontal segmentation approach.

Name

The British Omani Society

Legal name

The British Omani Society

Website

https://britishomani.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The British Omani Society is a UK-registered charitable membership organisation, founded in 1976, that promotes UK-Oman bilateral relations through education, cultural exchange, business networking, and youth programmes, serving members and partners across Britain and Oman.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Relations and Bilateral Friendship Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), International Affairs (92812)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Donor Coordination & Aid Effectiveness (BPADAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI)

Keywords

• Bilateral cultural relations
• Membership charity services
• Cross-cultural education
• Youth exchange programs
• Diplomatic society events

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: The organization generates revenue through membership fees. The website indicates that payment is taken immediately upon membership application, with approval potentially taking up to one month.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The British Omani Society is a charitable membership organization that builds UK–Oman bilateral relations through a portfolio of paid and free programmes. Its core paid offerings include individual Membership, the Arabic Language Scheme, the Student Volunteers Oman exchange programme, the Grant Application Programme, business networking services, and venue hire at its Mayfair headquarters, complemented by regular events, lectures, seminars, and the annual Summer Business Reception.

Product overview

The British Omani Society operates as a charitable membership organisation offering a portfolio of programmes and services focused on building relations between Oman and the UK. The core offerings include a Membership Programme, Events Programme (lectures, seminars, webinars, and the annual Summer Business Reception), Arabic Language Scheme (online and in-Oman language learning), Student Volunteers Oman Scheme (exchange programmes with GCET and UWE Bristol), Grant Application Programme (grants, bursaries, awards, and scholarships), and the New Generation Group. Additional services include Business Networking, News and Blog content platform, Podcasts, downloadable Annual Reviews (2015-2025), a Library resource, and Venue Hire at their London headquarters. The organisation does not offer a technology product; rather, it provides membership-based cultural, educational, and business connection services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership Programme Paid individual membership scheme for people interested in UK-Oman relations, with application via the website, immediate payment, and an approval process that may take up to one month. Members gain access to events, the digital library, podcasts, and the Annual Review publications.
• Events Programme A programme of lectures, seminars, meetings, webinars, and signature events including the annual Summer Business Reception and Annual General Meeting, hosted in the UK, Oman, and online for members and wider contacts.
• Arabic Language Scheme Online Arabic language learning programme enabling participants to develop Arabic skills, including intensive Levantine Arabic classes, targeted at members and others interested in Omani and regional language proficiency.
• Student Volunteers Oman Scheme A volunteer and exchange programme connecting students with opportunities in Oman, including exchange partnerships with the Global College of Engineering and Technology (GCET) in Oman and the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol), supported by grants from the Society.
• Grant Application Programme Financial assistance programme providing grants, bursaries, awards, scholarships, and other financial support to individuals and organizations advancing UK-Oman educational and cultural exchange objectives.
• Business Networking A bilateral networking platform connecting the UK and Omani government, youth, academic, and private-sector stakeholders, with focus areas including healthcare cooperation, digital health transformation, pharmaceutical manufacturing, sustainable health financing, and UK-GCC Free Trade Agreement opportunities.
• Venue Hire Hiring service for the Society's venue at 34 Sackville Street, London, available for events aligned with its charitable objects, subject to Society approval.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered not specified.

• Sultan's Armed Forces Associationnot specifiedOthersPartner organization listed on the British Omani Society partners page.
• Omani British Business Councilnot specifiedStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner organization facilitating business relations and trade opportunities between Oman and the UK.
• Omani British Friendship Associationnot specifiedOthersFriendship association partner organization listed on the partners page.
• Omani British Lawyers Associationnot specifiedOthersProfessional association partner for legal professionals engaged in Omani-British relations.
• BPnot specifiedOthersCorporate partner listed on the British Omani Society partners page with logo displayed.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• British-Lebanese Association: A UK charitable society promoting understanding and friendship between Britain and Lebanon. Operates a near-identical model to BOS as a Middle East-bilateral friendship society with lectures, events, and member networking.
• Royal Society for Asian Affairs: A UK-based membership society dedicated to Asian affairs through lectures, events, and a journal. Operates on a similar model to BOS — a charitable learned society running member events and content centred on bilateral engagement with Asian and Gulf countries.
• Oman British Friendship Association: The mirror-image counterpart to BOS, operating out of Oman to promote Oman-UK friendship. Listed as a partner of BOS, it is structurally the most direct peer — running complementary events, exchanges, and cultural programming from the Omani side of the same bilateral relationship.
• Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland: A long-established learned society (founded 1823) promoting scholarship, lectures, and publications about Asia and the Middle East. Comparable to BOS as a UK-based membership body focused on deepening understanding between Britain and Asian/Omani societies through events and research.
• Saudi-British Society: The closest UK-Saudi equivalent of BOS, a charitable society fostering UK-Saudi understanding through events, business networking, and cultural exchange. Highly comparable as a GCC-bilateral friendship society with similar royal/diplomatic ties and programming format.

Broad incumbents

• British Council: The UK's principal public-facing international cultural and educational relations body. While vastly larger and government-linked, it operates the same broad remit of cultural exchange, education partnerships, and bilateral programming that BOS pursues in the UK-Oman corridor.

Regional players

• British-Arab Chamber of Commerce: A UK organisation promoting trade and commercial relations across the Arab world, including the Gulf. Overlaps with BOS on the business-networking and trade-promotion dimension of the UK-Oman agenda, though its remit is broader and more commercially focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/BritishOmani
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@TheBritishOmaniSociety
• Facebookfacebook.com/BritishOmani
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/britishomani
• Instagraminstagram.com/britishomani

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The British Omani Society