**DECEMBER 2025**
## **NUMBER 29 NEWSLETTER**
## **PLEASE INFORM US IF YOUR POSTAL/EMAIL ADDRESS HAS CHANGED**
Many Friends have asked us for a map showing where our projects are located. **Wadi Hajr** where the ambulance is operating is clearly shown as is **Wadi Rakhyih** where Mba’a Medical Centre is being refurbished as is al-Uqran School near **Shibam** ; **al-Qatn** where the gym is to be constructed; **Fuwwah** where al-Inshaat Medical Centre was helped. Jol Mashah Medical Centre and Ruqub Medical Centre are both situated near **Mukalla** on the coast.
## **COMPLETED PROJECTS**
## **Ambulance for Hajr Directorate - A Landmark Accomplishment**
FOH is delighted to announce our very FIRST project for the Hajr Directorate (population approximately 25,000), one of the poorest districts in Hadhramaut, comprising several villages and a few towns such as Sidara and Maifa’ah (see map on 1[st] page).
Our Vice-Chairman Salah al-Qu’aiti purchased a second-hand Land Cruiser in Dubai costing approximately **£30,000** which was converted into an ambulance and transported to Mukalla where it arrived in April. New tires and a revamped AC were installed.
The ambulance was handed over to Muhammad Ali BalBuhaith, a well-known businessman from Sidara in June. A 3-man committee is supervising the management of the ambulance and has taken full responsibility for its maintenance and running expenses including fuel costs and the driver’s salary.
In line with FOH directives, the ambulance will be used to transport not just deceased bodies but the living as well, including pregnant women and other sick patients between Hajr and Mukalla, a distance of approximately 105 kms. Family members may accompany their deceased relatives from Mukalla for burial in Hajr and can, if affordable, contribute towards transportation costs, fuel being the biggest expense. FOH purchased a 4x4 vehicle because very few roads are asphalted and farms and villages are only accessible on dirt roads.
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In 2001, FOH had purchased a second-hand 16-seater minibus for Tarim Hospital which served as a makeshift ambulance. The fact that we were able to provide an acceptable ambulance for Hajr is due entirely to the generosity of our donors.
A further sum of **£1,200.59** was received from the estate of the late **John Ady** for which we are extremely grateful. This amount and a previous bequest of **£11,000** from John have been used for the purchase of the ambulance. A plaque has been placed within the ambulance acknowledging his munificence.
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## **Jol Mashah Medical Centre**
New buildings in the Jol Mashah Medical Centre (see map on first page) were opened on 28[th] January in the presence of the Director Dr. Amal Ahmed Saleh BaBasit.
**Salah al-Qu’aiti, Muhammad Al-Jumhi Head of Health Services in Hadhramaut, Muhammad AlYahri Head of Health Services in Mukalla Directorate & Rayid Bamakhramah in charge of Immunisation in Hadhramaut**
**Inauguration cake MuhammadAl-Yahri, Salah, Muhammad Bin Aqila in charge of building centre & Muhammad Al-Jumhi**
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**Salah, Muhammad Al-Yahri, Muhammad Al-Jumhi, Omar Bajabar responsible for Immediate Health Care in Hadhramaut & Dr. Amal Ahmed Saleh BaBasit Director of Centre**
**Ramadan Projects**
Salah distributed **231** baskets of various food items in Wadi Hadhramaut, Mukalla, Ghail Bawazir, Shehr and the coastal areas.
FOH conducted a medical campaign in 3 designated Medical Centres in the coastal areas namely Jol Mashah Medical Centre, Al-Inshaat Medical Centre Fuwwa and Ruqub Centre for Family Medicine where **2,955** men, women and children were checked free of charge. They also received free medicines. Salah also purchased items for blood testing. This free service costs approximately **£1,000** per month.
**Jol Mashah Medical Centre board & announcement offering free services in Ramadan**
**Al-Inshaat Medical Centre Fuwwa board & announcement offering free services in Ramadan**
**Ruqub Centre for Family Medicine board & announcement offering free services in Ramadan**
Salah was delighted to see the happiness on the faces of those patients who received free medication and thanks Friends for their continued support and donations. As a goodwill gesture
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from FOH, Salah gave each staff member (52 in total) a gift of approximately **YR 15,000 (£5)** and a basket of food items for working so hard. He is very much looking forward to continuing the funding of these 3 clinics with the monies raised from the Ironman event.
## **Al Uqran Primary School, Wadi Hadhramaut**
In 2011 we built 4 classrooms and 4 lavatories for this girls’ school in the large village of Uqran (see map on first page) about 10 kms from Shibam. Upon Salah’s inspection of the school the Director showed him the classrooms’ walls which were riddled with termites. The problem has been remedied in coordination with the Director and the affected classrooms have been repainted.
## **PENDING PROJECTS**
## **Mba’a Medical Centre, Wadi Rakhiya**
Salah started the major refurbishment of Mba’a Medical Centre (see map on first page) on 24th September 2025. This is our very FIRST project in Wadi Rakhiya. The clinic, concentrating on vaccinations and first aid is served by only two medical assistants (one male and one female) and caters to several villages in the surrounding area; namely al-Mudayyid, Husoon al-Hussain, al-Sha’ib, Amlaat, al-Khudood, al-Husn, al-Qibli and al-Sufoola. Serious medical conditions have to be treated at the larger medical centre at Sahwa. Salah has supplied much needed medicines and BP gauges for women and children. There are 2 toilets, one of which is being renovated. The roof and the staircase leading to it are being repaired as a result of heavy rains which affected the rooms inside the building. Flooding in the courtyard also caused severe damage and so we are widening and enlarging the yard by reinforcing it on two sides to protect it from future inundation. A new room is being built inside the Centre along with a corridor where patients will be given intravenous injections or a short treatment before returning home.
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## **Al Qatn Sports and Youth Club New Gymnasium, Wadi Hadhramaut**
The cost of building a new gymnasium will be approximately **£35,000** , comprising an exercise hall, a changing room, 2 toilets and an office. The gym will be used by men AND women at separate times, a FIRST for Wadi Hadhramaut. Second-hand exercise equipment has already been bought. The complex will be built with cement on land (approximately 400 square metres) belonging to the Club. The roof will be of iron aluminium construction using a special heatresistant material for protection from the scorching summer heat. The trustees wish to emphasise the importance of exercise benefiting physical well-being and boosting the mental health of the users by lowering stress, improving sleep and enhancing focus-building resilience in daily challenges.
## **Al-Hayah Centre for Rehabilitation of Autistic Children, Wadi Hadhramaut**
This Centre is under the Supervision of the Department of Education, Al-'Aneen District, alQatn Directorate. It was founded in 2018 and serves the area between Khamur in the East and Wadi al-'Ain, Du'an and Hureidah in the West. 42 staff are currently employed to look after the children whose average age is between 4-16 years. The Centre is currently located in a rented, fairly dilapidated house which Salah visited in September when he told them that FOH might be able to build them a purpose-built facility provided a generous donor or the government were to donate a piece of land.
- 94 pupils are autistic
- (72 male & 22 female) • 29 pupils suffer from Down's Syndrome (20 male & 9 female) • 15 new pupils have enrolled this year
They urgently need 5 ceiling fans; outdoor educational games and small massage appliances. They also need funds for staff training courses to be organised by hiring a specialist from the Hadhramaut. FOH could help towards paying his/her transportation costs and fees.
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**WHO WOULD LIKE TO FUND THEIR CURRENT NEEDS?**
## **PIANO RECITAL AND AFTERNOON TEA, CITY OF LONDON, 25[th] JULY 2025**
**Unprecedented** that our Patron Angela Kilmartin hosted her SIXTH event for FOH. What an extraordinary heart-stirring event! For Caroline Haffner to play Bach, Chopin, Debussy and Scriabin for us with such passionate skill for almost an hour was an enormous treat. To be regaled by her magnificent tour de force in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Holborn was unforgettable. We have simply no words to thank Caroline for so graciously offering her pianoforte expertise and playing for us with no remuneration whatsoever except for the applause and accolades so effusively given, demonstrating how she held the audience silently spellbound. Bravo to Caroline for coming from Paris to entertain us so enchantingly.
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Stuart Whatton, Director Music at Hill Concert Society organised the lunchtime concert at the National Musicians Church as part of the St. Anne’s Bach Festival in London, co-founded in 1996 by Angela who left no stone unturned, in spite of scaffolding and building disruptions in the church, to ensure that everything ran smoothly and with a minimum of fuss. This double event was arranged by Angela with her usual unmatched sense of hilarity and gravitas. Alyah al-Qu’aiti and Sultana Hafiz presented gifts to Angela and Caroline who had celebrated her birthday the day before. We are truly grateful to all **100** guests who graced our event with such enthusiasm and generosity.
For more than three decades, Caroline Haffner has performed in concert halls around the world. Caroline takes her stage name from her mother – descended from Sigmund Haffner, Mayor of Salzburg and friend of Mozart for whom the latter wrote the eponymous Serenade and Symphony. She plays a range of solo, chamber and orchestral repertoire from Mozart and Chopin to contemporary music written especially for her. A world tour with Chopin’s Ballades (2019-2022) took her from Europe to Asia and the Americas, and she continues to give recitals in New York and Europe. She is acclaimed by connoisseurs, critics and fellow musicians for the brilliant virtuosity, profound musicianship and dramatic intensity of her playing. As a child prodigy she was one of the last students of French pianist Alfred Cortot.
After a number of first prizes at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris, a _Licence de Concert_ at the age of 14 years at the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris and a ‘ _virtuosité_ ’ at the Conservatoire de Genève, Caroline continued her studies in Vienna with Leonid Brumberg. Invited to attend the Tchaikovsky Conservatoire in Moscow, Caroline was received by Leonid Brezhnev. She then won a Fulbright Scholarship from Eunice Kennedy Shriver, sister of President J F Kennedy, to allow her to complete her studies in the United States of America. One of the first Frenchwomen to win an international prize, Caroline Haffner was presented to Général de Gaulle as “ _un grand Espoir de la France_ ”. Caroline made her debut at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées in Paris with Tchaikovsky’s 1[st] Piano Concerto. Since then, she has played at several international venues including the Carnegie Hall, the Royal Albert Hall and Tchaikovsky Great Hall.
**Caroline Murat, Angela Kilmartin, John Ducker & Dr. Antoine Turzi**
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Here are some comments from amongst the 100 guests which attest to the general feeling of conviviality and solidarity which FOH engenders.
- Thank you very much for organising that excellent fundraiser where I met several interesting people. Your team is amazing in its enthusiasm.
- Thank you for such a lovely afternoon. It was our pleasure to attend and meet such lovely people. What a piano recital; it really was an amazing performance by Caroline.
- Thank you for such a splendid day with FOH!
- Congratulations on getting together a large and varied group of people in your team’s energetic efforts to raise funds for Hadhramaut. It was enjoyable, not least, to come across people one would not have expected to be there. It must have taken an enormous effort, first, to organise the event, and then to see the day through.
- It was a Great Day and everyone loved it. FOH is a genius at gathering (very interesting) people together and creating a ball of energy!
- Many thanks for the wonderful afternoon. It was an unforgettable experience and highly enjoyable from every point of view. I'm already looking forward to next year's event.
- Although I could not be with you on the day, I would really like to donate to the funds. Know that it comes with my admiration for all that FOH does for the people of the Hadhramaut.
- There were two stars at the event: Caroline, who gave new life to Bach, Chopin, Debussy and Scriabin; and FOH with its artistry at building an empire of Friends.
- Thank you so much for a wonderful and impressive afternoon! It was both inspiring and so positive, merely to hear of the exceptional results you are achieving. Wishing you every success.
- I had a smashing time both at the piano recital and at the reception and enjoyed chatting with various "Friends".
- What an extremely successful event. I know how much effort these things take. Caroline certainly triumphed! It was the loveliest programme. Thank you once again for all FOH does and continues to do.
- What an immense and resounding success! Please accept my congratulations on that splendid occasion. With thanks and great admiration for FOH’s achievement.
- The FOH gathering was a wonderful event; great support, with really lovely interesting people.
- Many thanks for FOH! It was simply wonderful! Congratulations!
- Thank you so much for this wonderful day with Friends. Great success.
- Thank you FOH and Angela for organising such an enjoyable event.
- It was so lovely to meet Friends at the Recital and Tea Party. We enjoyed the occasion enormously. Above all, it was good to get a greater feel for the wonderful work that FOH is doing.
- It was a super event and I am as ever impressed by how FOH brings people together and imbues the occasion with its own warmth and generosity of spirit. I acknowledge you have a crew alongside doing good work too.
- It was lovely to get to meet everyone and to learn more about FOH and its missions.
- It was absolutely lovely to see members of FOH which is truly an inspiration, doing incredible work and making a real impact. I’m grateful to be part of the journey.
- May God reward FOH for the projects it leads.
- Thank you so much for your consistent, good work helping people in the Hadhramaut.
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- Joining your beautiful event in London was an honour, and it was FOH’s radiant spirit that made the event so special to all of us. May God bless FOH always for what it does for Hadhramaut and humanity.
- It was just a wonderful event, all of it. Well done!
- Ich habe FOH vielmals zu danken für die tolle Organisation und die herzliche Gastfreundschaft! So waren die gestrigen Veranstaltungen doch ein voller persönlicher Erfolg und ein Erfolg für die FOH. Alles hat wunderbar geklappt.
- May I congratulate Angela and FOH for the congenial mixture of cultural events we had in London! We all met in such pleasant surroundings with so many interesting people.
- Congratulations on not only a brilliant fundraising move (what could be better than a concert and tea all to take place in historic settings) but also on the efficient way FOH organised it.
- Attending the FOH event was such fun and so energising. I was delighted to meet new FOH and reconnect with others.
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## **Extracts from Speech by the Treasurer**
On behalf of our dear Patrons John and Patricia Ducker and Angela Kilmartin who has single handedly organised today’s event, I wish you all a warm welcome to the Worshipful Company of Butchers, which is one of the oldest livery companies in the City of London. The Princess Royal Princess Anne was installed as the Master in 2010 following in the footsteps of her grandmother.
Angela Kilmartin became our very **first** Friend in 1996. She has been the backbone and the spirit behind today’s festivities. I would like to express my profound thanks to Princess Caroline Murat whom I first met in Jeddah five decades ago when she was the leading light of the Jeddah Concert Committee which she cofounded. Caroline with her husband Dr. Antoine Turzi hosted the most wonderful luncheon party in Venice in 2014 for FOH. Last summer she very graciously and generously proposed that she would give a piano recital for FOH, **waiving the entirety of her fee.**
I would like to thank our trustees for their dedication and hard work today – Maija Calvert, Fatima and Muzna alQu’aiti. We are absolutely thrilled with the response we have received with 100 guests attending.
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It is heartening to see so many Friends and supporters who have travelled from all over the world; USA, Germany, Norway, France, Spain, The Netherlands, Pakistan and from all parts of the United Kingdom. I would particularly like to thank our Local Coordinators for being with us today – Wolfgang Gaerte from Germany, Maija Calvert from France, Alex Ingrams from The Netherlands, Rukhsana Rashid from Pakistan and Sverre Driveklepp from Norway.
Angela would like today’s funds to go towards the refurbishment of a medical centre in Hadhramaut. This was agreed with our man on the ground, the indomitable Salah al-Qu’aiti our Vice Chairman, without whom none of these projects would see the light of day, to provide better facilities and to re-equip the Centre to the best of our ability. Salah continues to provide essential food baskets for families in Wadi Hadhramaut and in the coastal areas as well as medical aid and supplies to clinics throughout the Governorate and help to pupils with uniforms, stationery and shoes. Because of the dire food situation in the whole of Yemen we find that most of our donations go towards feeding poor families.
## **FOH raised a total of £7,463.73.**
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## **RAISING FUNDS FOR FOH ON TOTAL GIVING**
Special thanks to **Tom Wise** and his friends **Angus, Matt and Harry** on completing the Half Ironman in September in Italy to raise funds for FOH. A moving personal message was posted on the Total Giving website about their initiative. Their enterprise is very commendable especially their keenness to fund free medical check-ups and free medicines for patients at the 3 clinics FOH supported in the coastal area in Ramadan. By way of background, Tom’s grandfather Willie E Wise was one of the British Resident Advisers to the Hadhramaut in the 1950s and Tom has always felt a particular affinity for the area and its people. His father Rupert Wise was born in Mukalla. The target was to raise **£5,000** for FOH but they have raised a whopping **£7,087.75** !
We are deeply grateful to all those donors who supported the Half Ironman.
|Jordan Orloff|Asma Ibrahim|Alex Ingrams|
|---|---|---|
|CarolineIslam|Rukhsana Rashid|Ulla&MaijaCalvert|
|Charles Nolda|Sir Harold Walker|HazelStrouts|
|Renate & Stephan Keller|GillianGregory|Angela Kilmartin|
|Patricia& John Ducker|JamesBudd|Sultana al-Qu’aiti|
|Finn Chatterton|Norman & Marilyn
Cameron|Felipe & Leslie Fernandez-|
|||Armesto|
|Ella Bennett|Philippa Pardue|Beatrice & Wolfgang Gaerte|
|William Baird|Alexander Lee|SamSher|
|EmilieTubbs|Alexander HStubber|Cordelia Barlow|
|LilyTebbutt|Sophie Gladstone|Patrick Boyle|
|MarkusFforde|MadeleineTerrell|ClemmiePreston|
|Thomas Riegels|William Davie-Thornhill|Laetitia Seabright|
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|Edward Chevallier|RomyBodington|JamesHouldsworth|
|---|---|---|
|SverreDriveklepp|Muzna al-Qu’aiti|Fatima al-Qu’aiti|
|JaneTaylor|Alice & Charles Nolda|Hania Imran|
|Dr.I Murray-Lyon|Kenneth Davies|CorrineHillman-Bickle|
|GabrieleLukoseviciute|SophieTreacy|KelseyMonteith|
|MohammedBelal|Francis Gardner|TajvirJhamat|
|Thomas Casdagli|Fflur Raw-Rees|Rupert&LindaWise|
|OleMarius Ostlie|James Woodrow|JonShack|
|Bill&Marybeth Mendenhall|Kevin Regan|JamieRowland|
|Melchior Baltazar|Anthony & ClarePrince|Fareeda Riaz|
|Paddy &AngusBishopp|MichaelWalton|ChrisBradley|
|FrankGlock|Jean Franco|Lexy Straw|
|Hugh&Miranda Morris|Linda&Peter Duncan|Julia Miles|
|Kasia Robinska|Priya Bilkhu|Tabby, Sally &Evie Witte|
|RoyFacey|Ernest Boles|RoyDavies|
|RoryTennant|AlexJMartin|Amber Evans|
|Matt Bowen|Richard Saville|Tempe &Robert Mansfield|
“In our biggest challenge yet, we will be competing in the Italia-Romagna 70.3 Ironman to raise money for Friends of Hadhramaut, an amazing UK-registered charity that provides educational and medical support in the Hadhramaut region of Yemen. Yemen is amongst the top 10 poorest nations with a GDP per capita of $477 (2023), roughly a hundredth of that of the UK. This means that many of the population do not have access to even basic healthcare. The money that is raised here for the charity will go directly towards their project to provide free medicine and healthcare, specifically for those poor patients who simply do not have the means to pay for this basic human need. Previous iterations of this project were great successes and it was calculated that on average it costs £1,000 to provide this service across 3 clinics in the Hadhramaut for a single month. Our goal of £5,000 would aim to ensure the continuation of this life-changing project for almost half a year. The half-Ironman we will be doing to raise money for FOH will take place on 21[st] September 2025 in Cervia - Italy. The race will comprise a 1.9 km swim followed by a 90 km cycle and then a 21.1 km run to finish off, all in the hot, humid September climate of northern Italy. Any donations, however small, will be much appreciated”.
https://www.totalgiving.co.uk/mypage/70miles_for_the_hadhramaut
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f**£9,101.67**towards our projects f|
or which the people of Ha|
dhramaut are more than gratefu|
|---|---|---|
|Tempe & Robert Mansfield|Mimi Cejka|Alex Ingrams|
|Dr. Naheed Khan|M bin Dohry|Fay Huidekoper-Cope|
|Hon. Justice John P.BrysonQC|VirginiaGray-Henry|Shireen Karrim|
|Ann&David Grainger|Habibah|Anna Haug|
|Zaida Zain|Latifa Lemoh|Ann& NicholasBeard|
|PeterJEgan-Williams|Alexandre Cumas|ShabbarJaffar|
|PatrickCreasey|Edda Henry|Dr.Hanne Schōnig|
|Major Yeoman|SarahSearight|Mike Girgis|
|Juli Avedissian|MarcoLivadiotti|Patricia&Peter Taylor|
|D&PSilve|AndrewDawson|CarolineIslam|
|Julia Basirov|Asma Ibrahim|Norman&MarilynCameron|
|Maamoun Zahid|Alexis de Vivenot|Ulla & Maija Calvert|
|Charles Nolda|PiusFischer|CarolineDawnay|
|Renate & Stephan Keller|Paul Hughes-Smith|Sir Harold Walker|
|HazelStrouts|Jose-MarieBel|AlisonShan Price|
|PhilippaVaughan|GillianGregory|Angela Kilmartin|
|Patricia& John Ducker|SersoubFamily|Renate &Taha Husseini|
|Primrose & Christopher
Arnander|Patricia & Richard
Loudon|Felipe & Leslie Fernandez-|
|||Armesto|
|Patricia Montaperto|MikeKiskiel|Daphne Sanders|
|Awatif Baarmah|ChrisBradley|Hugh&Miranda Morris|
|Fareeda Riaz|TheLady Green|Dinavon Randow|
|JamesBudd|Dr. JoyceMordecai|Clare Sunderland|
|Eunice Cheung|Philippa Pardue|Beatrice & Wolfgang Gaerte|
|Peter Danby-Smith|Sultana al-Qu’aiti|TheLady Wright|
|Aida Kellal|Dorothy Cockrell|Karim Mustafa|
|Anthony &MaryLewis|Nuria Iqbal|Francis Witts|
|CarolineLees|Sarah& GeraldDodson|Dr.RaziaSultanova|
|HelenShaw|Anne Carey|Dr.AsraSiddiqui|
|SverreDriveklepp|Nina Kneppen|Inger Kristoffersen|
|TomWise|ChristinaMoorhouse|AbdyYeganeh|
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|CarolineMurat|Dr.AntoineTurzi|Dr. NaheedMir|
|---|---|---|
|JaneTaylor|Karima al-Dabbagh|Alexis Stanyer|
|Rukhsana Rashid|RichardTrounson|JonathanChappell|
|Elizabeth Ingrams|AlandeLacyRush|Haney Saadah|
|Ghalib &Alyah al-Qu’aiti|Paddy &AngusBishopp|Fatima al-Qu’aiti|
|Chad SPasha|SuleymanSPasha|HashimSPasha|
|Muzna al-Qu’aiti|Hisham Hafiz|Ismail Hafiz|
|Sultana&Asmaa Hafiz|Anthony & ClarePrince|Dania Zahid|
|StuartWhatton|Dr.Ajaz& SidraNaeem|Ibtissam al-Bassam|
|RobynGardner|Alice & Charles Nolda|Matthew Slade|
|Aina Khan|Imran&KhalidaSafdar|CorrineHillman-Bickle|
|Hania Imran|John A Horrell|Harriette Ollennu|
|Dr.I Murray-Lyon|Richard Saville|Pamela Bunney|
|Kat Maconie|Dr. Julian Reade|Noorah Aleidi|
|BrigadierJohn D Deverell|Shama Husain|ReverendAndyRoland|
|Peter Danby-Smith|MichaelWalton|Julia Miles|
|Imran Mulla|Sam Dalrymple|Jifreya M Mahamoor|
|RoryTennant|Fflur Raw-Rees|Rupert&LindaWise|
|RoyFacey|James Woodrow|Jean Franco|
We are deeply grateful to an anonymous donor for a very generous donation of **£2,000** .
Our heartfelt thanks to these Friends who continue to support us through Standing Orders: **Dr. David Bryer** , **Emma Whitaker** , **Lady Bute** , **Lord Green of Deddington** , **Suad alJuffali** , **Dr. Ronit Lami** , **Dr. Thanos Petouris** , **Dr. Iain Walker** , **BA Fyfield-Shayler** , **Yumna Zain, Julian Lush** , **Quentin Rappoport** , **Sandra Hawkins** , **Mohamed Ali Foundation** and **Dr. FJ Pocock** .
We hope other Friends will consider setting up Standing Orders to help our cause.
**Query:** In 2025 we received a donation from **D & P Silve** . The treasurer would like to know who this couple is in order to thank them.
## **NEWS OF PATRON ANGELA KILMARTIN**
“What a joy to talk on the phone to Salah in Hadhramaut while visiting Jeddah in February. He invited me to come and visit next year, which will be 18 years since my last memorable visit in 2007! Salah does extraordinary work for the poor whom we raise funds for. Thank you Salah”!
Dr. Harub al-Kharusi: “It was so good to meet Angela in Muscat in March and have a chance to catch up on FOH. Please convey my respects and greetings to all Friends of Hadhramaut”.
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**Angela with Dr. Harub Kharusi & Michel Mouton in Muscat**
## **NEWS OF THE CHAIRMAN**
Saleh, currently based in Jeddah, would be happy to meet any FOH passing through: salehbinghalib@hotmail.com
## **NEWS OF THE VICE-CHAIRMAN**
We are delighted to announce the marriage of Salah’s son Ghalib in December and extend our heartfelt congratulations to the family.
Salah writes: “It is a pleasure doing anything for our beloved charity; it is what keeps my children and family safe; this is a great and good work. People are really desperate as prices continue to increase. I am very happy that the Trustees have agreed to prioritise food baskets throughout the year, especially during Ramadan, where I would like to see a significant increase in their distribution in 2026. They have also asked me to identify needy orphans anonymously whom Friends can sponsor by sending an annual donation (approximately £160-£200) which will cover their school and food expenses”. We have no words to thank Salah for his ongoing, entirely voluntary dedication to FOH. Please can all Friends think of a suitable way to honour his remarkable commitment in 2027, our 30[th] anniversary.
Any Friend wishing to sponsor an orphan should get in touch with the Treasurer hayatulmir@gmail.com
**Vice Chairman Salah with his sons Ghalib & Ali**
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## **NEWS OF THE ADVISER**
The treasurer spoke to Brian Fyfield-Shayler in the summer and he asked to convey his warm greetings to all Friends. We are grateful to Julia Sanders and James Budd for keeping an eye on him.
## **NEWS OF THE TREASURER**
Sultana was delighted to host **Angela Kilmartin** in February whom she first met in Jeddah 4 decades ago! Many FOH came for the Jeddah Biennale where she had the pleasure to meet: **Dr. Ulrike Freitag** , **Virginia Gray Henry** , **Dr. Abdur Rahman Azzam** , **Dr. Shahina Ghazanfar, Peter** and **Hafsa Sanders** . She also met **Anum Ayah** , **Amna Yaghmour** , **Wafa Murad** , **Wafa al-Mihdhar** , **Najla Azzam** , **Caroline Islam, Dalya Islam, Aina Khan OBE, Dr. Arwa alAlim** and **Pia Kanaan.**
She also met **Ann** and **David Grainger** in Sunderland and later presented **Peter Danby-Smith** with a copy of David’s book at his home in Yorkshire.
**Dalya & Caroline Islam Aisha Gray-Henry Angela with Anum Ayah**
## **NEWS FROM CANADIAN BRANCH**
**LC Alexandre Cumas** writes: “I am very proud to be one of the local coordinators assisting with this worthy cause”: firetexion@gmail.com
## **NEWS FROM FRENCH BRANCH**
**LC Maija Calvert:** maijacalvert@gmail.com It was wonderful to see Maija at our annual event in London.
Jose-Marie Bel launched his new book at Espace Reine de Saba in October attended by FOH Maeva Lorotte and Jean Franco in the presence of Yemen’s Ambassador to France
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**HE Dr. Riyad Yassin Abdullah J-M Bel with Jean Franco Dr. Willi Steul & Maeva Lorotte**
## **NEWS FROM GERMAN BRANCH**
**LC Wolfgang Gaerte:** w.gaerte@yahoo.com
Wolfgang represented FOH at the AGM of the Deutsche-Jemenitische Gesellschaft (DJG) in Leipzig in May where he met **Ruth Hildebrandt** and **Joachim Düster** .
It was wonderful to see Wolfgang at our annual event in London, along with Dina Von Randow.
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## **NEWS FROM ITALIAN BRANCH**
## **LC Mick Walton:** mickwalton@libero.it
Mick organised the 8th International Sir Richard Burton conference in October in the American Legation in Tangier where he spoke along with Alison Dingle and Carolyn Snelling.
## **NEWS FROM NETHERLANDS BRANCH**
**LC Alex Ingrams** : alex.ingrams@gmail.com It was wonderful to see Alex at our annual event in London.
Jean Franco writes: “As a relatively new Friend, it was wonderful to arrive in Amsterdam (where I was studying for my MSc in Anthropology) with a solid, albeit small, network of fellow FOH in the country. Knowing that there are like-minded, thoughtful people passionate about Hadhramaut (such as Alex Ingrams and Waleed Al-Ward) throughout the world is a boon not to be taken for granted. Our global network is what gives us strength for our all-important campaigns to raise awareness and funds for Hadhramaut”.
## **NEWS FROM NORWEGIAN BRANCH**
**LC Sverre Driveklepp:** sverre.driveklepp@gmail.com It was wonderful to see Sverre, Nina and her mother Inger at our annual event in London.
## **NEWS FROM PAKISTAN BRANCH**
**LC Rukhsana Rashid:** Rashid.rukhsana@gmail.com She was elected to the Board of Trustees of _Shirkat Gah, Women’s Resource Centre_ and subsequently became Treasurer of the Board. It was wonderful to see Rukhsana at our annual event in London.
Ambassador Aftab Khokher delivering a lecture at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies in October
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## **NEWS FROM USA BRANCH**
## **LC Johnny Mulholland** : jmulholland@aol.com
John writes: The Marin Bicycling Museum generously agreed to host my 80[th] birthday party on December 13[th] . Marin County is on the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge. It hosts a goodsized mountain called Mt. Tamalpais, great for riding up on our road bikes and the site where the “Mountain Bike” was invented. The directors of the museum are friends from over 60 years. My brother left his cycling library to the museum which formed the basis of its research centre. John is delighted to have reconnected with Susie Zaidan.
## **CONDOLENCES**
Our deepest sympathy to the family of Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank GCB GCVO OBE DL on the death of Baroness **Guthrie OBE** in 2022
Our deepest sympathy to Yann Lovelock on the death of his wife **Ann** (FOH 16.2.1997) in October 2024 in Worcestershire
Our deepest sympathy to the family of **Richard William Murphy** (FOH 17.4.97), one of our very early supporters, who died in November 2024 at the age of 95. He served as US ambassador to Mauritania, Syria, The Philippines and Saudi Arabia
Our deepest sympathy to Francis Witts on the death of his sister **Ailsie** in 2024
Our deepest sympathy to the family of **Monika Niederberger** (FOH 1.1.18) on her death in November 2022, and that of her husband **Siegfried Niederberger** (FOH 1.1.18) in January 2025
Our deepest sympathy to Ambassador Alfred Vestring and the family of **Ulrike Vestring** (FOH 12.5.97) on her death in Bonn in January 2025
Our deepest sympathy to the family of **Lady Bullard** (FOH 19.3.22) who died peacefully in Oxford in February 2025. John and Patricia Ducker and Julia Miles attended her memorial service in Oxford in March
Our deepest sympathy to the family of **Dr. Suleyman Abdallah Schleifer** (FOH 15.1.97) who died peacefully in Cairo in March. He was laid to rest in Tunis cemetery near his beloved Fayoum. Our heartfelt condolences to Mustafa Majzub and Haajar Gouverneur who cared for him devotedly in his last years and saw to his last rites **In Memoriam Suleyman Abdallah Schleifer (1935-2025)** Dr. Abdallah Schleifer returned to his Lord on the 27[th] Ramadan (27.3.2025) in Cairo, an auspicious end to a remarkable life. He had lived in Egypt for over half a century. He was 89 years old and had been in declining health for several years. American Muslim journalist and educator Dr. Schleifer transformed the study of professional journalism in the Middle East as founder and director (1985-2005) of the Kamal Adham Center for Journalism Training and Research at the American University in Cairo (1985). A seasoned war correspondent and acknowledged expert on the geo-politics of the Middle East, he served as Middle East Bureau Chief of NBC News (1974-1983)
Born Marc David Schleifer in 1935 he was raised in Long Island, New York, earning a degree in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania. He later joined beat poet Alan
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Ginsberg and fellow literati Paul Bowles and William Burroughs in Tangiers, where he was first exposed to Islam. After his conversion, Abdallah emigrated to the Middle East in 1965 and began a career in journalism as the first managing editor of _The Jerusalem Star_ , an English language newspaper published in Amman, which was subsequently renamed _Palestine News_ He became a stringer for the New York Times and moved to Jerusalem where he covered the Six Day War in 1967. Based on his reporting, he wrote _The Fall of Jerusalem_ , a controversial eyewitness account of the war. He then moved to Lebanon (1968-1972) where he worked for the pan-African monthly magazine _Jeune Afrique._ He was appointed professor at the American University in Cairo (AUC). After retiring from AUC in 2005, Abdallah took over as Washington Bureau Chief for _Al-Arabiya_ News Channel. As Professor Emeritus at AUC and Senior Fellow of the Adham Center, Abdallah participated in numerous US and Arab-based think tanks, including The Philadelphia-based Foreign Policy Research Institute and the Amman-based Royal Ahl al-Bait Institute for Islamic Thought
Our deepest sympathy to Haney Saadeh and family on the death of his father-in-law **Fawzan al Madany** in April in Cairo
Our deepest sympathy to the family of **Barbara Screaton Fulford** (FOH 22.7.97), psychologist, philanthropist and advocate for children's welfare, who passed away peacefully in her sleep at her home in Ottawa in April. She was 93 years old. Born in 1931 in Toronto, Barbara studied modern languages at the University of Toronto. There, she met Dwight Wilder Fulford during a university debate and together they led a successful diplomatic career, visiting Hadhramaut in 1982. She was deeply affected by witnessing injustice and became more committed than ever to social causes and human rights. She and Dwight shared this commitment, and it manifested throughout their lives in countless acts of hands-on generosity to individuals needing a helping hand. Barbara's empathy and commitment extended to assisting refugees and asylum seekers in Ontario. She will be missed by a wide community of friends, colleagues, and people whose lives she touched, and especially by FOH, a charity very close to her heart and the recipient of her many donations
Our deepest sympathy to Ahmed Al-Hagri on the death of his **father** in Mukalla in May
Our deepest sympathy to the family of **Field Marshal Charles Ronald Llewelyn Guthrie** , **Baron Guthrie of Craigiebank GCB GCVO OBE DL** (FOH 28.3.98) who died in London in September aged 86. The Treasurer writes: When Jane, Lady Green, was living in Riyadh, where her husband was serving as HM Ambassador, Lord Guthrie came to stay. He noticed a copy of our recent newsletter on her desk in the study and was amazed to find our patron's name on the first page: Jim Ellis OBE. Capt. Charles Guthrie was based at RAF Riyan in 1967 with the Welsh Guards and the SAS, where he came to know the last Resident Adviser of the East Aden Protectorate in Mukalla as well as John Shipman. Apparently, our newsletter was his bedtime reading that night and he subsequently joined FOH. 13 years later in May 2011 he graciously invited 22 Friends on a personal tour of the Household Cavalry barracks in Hyde Park. In his welcoming remarks alongside our patron Joanna Ellis, he spoke warmly of Jim and his fond memories of the Hadhramaut. Joanna was delighted to meet Lord Guthrie again as she had not met him since their last meeting in Mukalla in 1967 and commented "I would have known him anywhere". When I met Lord Guthrie with my husband in London many years later, he poignantly reminded us that he was at the Riyan airstrip on that fateful day in August 1967 when Sultan Ghalib took off in a RAF aircraft for Aden, which turned out to be his last day as Sultan on Hadhrami soil. Please see newsletter #15 on the FOH website for pictures of the event Lord Guthrie hosted
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Our deepest sympathy to George Philip Nicholas Windsor Earl of St Andrews on the death of his mother **Katharine, Duchess of Kent** in Kensington Palace in September
Our deepest sympathy to Auriole and Alexandra on the death of their mother **Marilyn Fountaine** (FOH 21.1.97) in Great Bircham, Norfolk in September. The Treasurer writes: Marilyn was one of the earliest Friends to join FOH, introduced to the charity by Michael Sayer. She was a loyal and generous supporter of our work and I treasure the wonderful letters she wrote to me in her unmistakable, black inked handwriting, always enclosing the most unusual stamps from around the world. Her husband, the late John Fountaine, hailed from Narford Hall, one of the great Norfolk country estates. The church at Salle where she is buried has fifteenth century memorial brasses to the family. Marilyn herself hailed from a family of baronets, the Heygates. She will be sorely missed
Our deepest sympathy to Michael Sayer on the death of his mother **Mary Elizabeth Sayer** (nee Weddall) in November in Norfolk
Our deepest sympathy to Heidrun Von Hoch on the death of her sister **Helma Ribitsch** in November in Vienna
Our deepest sympathy to Adnan and Amal Bogary on the death of their beloved mother **Elsa Rennes Bogary** (FOH 23.4.97) in Jeddah in December at the age of 92. The Treasurer writes: Elsa was one of our earliest Friends, visiting our projects firsthand in the Hadhramaut in 2004. She was remarkably impressed by the voluntary work she saw Salah undertaking on behalf of the charity. She will be sorely missed
It is with deep sadness that we record the death of **Sukaynah bint Sultan Ali bin Mansoor alKathiri** , wife of Dr Abdullah bin Jaffer Al-Kathiri in Seiyun in December
## **THANKS**
**Huraiby al-Huraiby** , our webmaster for renewing the FOH website and for constantly updating the content with due diligence.
**Muhammad Bahumaid** , **Ghalib** and **Ali al-Qu’aiti** for helping Salah distribute food baskets in Ramadan.
The **Deutsche-Jemenitische Gesellschaft** (DJG) for advertising our summer fundraising event on their website.
**Taher Qassim MBE** Chair British-Yemeni Society (BYS) and **Noel Brehony OBE** Editor BYS Journal for allowing us to reproduce Jean Franco’s article in this newsletter and **Louise Hosking** Secretary for advertising both the FOH summer fundraising event and the HalfIronman event in September.
**Renaud Detalle** , **Angela Kilmartin** , **Dr. S Ghazanfar, Aina Khan** and **Saira Butt** for posting fliers and newsletters.
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**Nicholas Hopton** (former Ambassador to the Republic of Yemen) for advertising our summer fundraising event in 2 newsletters of The Middle East Association which he now runs as Director General: https://the-mea.com/
**Nicholas Hopton with his son Louis**
**Muzna al-Qu’aiti** and **Rukhsana Rashid** for their hard work in producing this newsletter.
**Gavin Strachan** for the following information: The Quai Branly Museum in Paris has 4,803 objects from Yemen, not all of which are photographed. By clicking on the link where it indicates 'Saisir votre recherche', type in Yemen and you will get individual records for each item held by the Museum: https://collections.quaibranly.fr/
**Jose-Marie Bel** for advertising the FOH summer fundraising event in his newsletters.
**David Grainger** for donating very valuable books to FOH including a signed copy of Sheila Colinette’s _Wildflowers of Saudi Arabia_ , currently out of print and much sought after.
**Renate Husseini** for carrying antique Hadhrami dresses from Paris to London.
**Dr. Antoine Turzi** for offering to support the 3 coastal clinics near Mukalla with equipment and advice.
**Tariq Isa** on preparing our Independent Examiner’s Report for the Charity Commission of England and Wales.
**Fflur Raw-Rees** for her invaluable help with Gift Aid.
## **CONGRATULATIONS**
**Andrea Hess** on her new book _Auf dem Gailenberg Geschichten von Hausern & Menschen_ published in 2024
**Zaida Zain** on her 90th birthday in November
**Konstantin Wiesemann** on his betrothal to Janina Göbel in Düsseldorf
**Lorna Branczik** on her 80[th] birthday in December 2024
**Caroline Cabot** on her daughter-in-law Belen’s new children’s book _Daughter of the Light-Footed People_ and her husband’s book _The Historic Woodstock Art Colony, The Arthur A. Andersen Collection_
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**John Mulholland** on his new book _Terrorists or Freedom Fighters HAMAS the Palestinian Organization Which Transformed the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict_ and on his 80[th] birthday in December
**Princess Reem Mohammed Al-Faisal** on her photography exhibition _States of Light_ at L’Art Pur Foundation in January and on her recent exhibition _The Land of Pilgrims and Poets_ in Riyadh in December
**Farida Azad** ’s husband Azad Iqbal on his new book _Raaz-e-Sukhan_ , launched at the Pakistan Arts Council, Karachi in January and in Lahore in April
**Ahmed Rashid** on being conferred a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Lahore Literary Festival in February
**Vanja Pantovic** on the 25[th] anniversary of her Ballet School _Princeza Ksenja_ in March, which was celebrated with a performance in the National Theatre of Montenegro in Podgorica
**Dr. Shahina Ghazanfar** on presenting her paper on the _Hijrah Path_ at the Islamic Biennale in Jeddah in April and participating in a conference _The Scent of Time: Omani Frankincense from Antiquity to Innovation_ at the Royal Geographical Society in October. She met Michel Mouton in Muscat in November
**Muzna al-Qu’aiti** on her talk _Islamic Art, Architecture and Design_ in the workshop _Hand and Earth: Shaping Unity through Mud Architecture_ at the Islamic Biennale Jeddah in April and on her presentation at the 3[rd] Effat University Conference on the Humanities in October on _Traditions, Emotions and Stories: Envisioning Well-Being for Thriving Societies_
**Angela Kilmartin** on being presented with an award from the High Sheriff of Essex by the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Essex, Sidra Naeem
**Shehryar Akbar Khan** on his appointment as Pakistan’s Ambassador to the Czech Republic
**Ambassador Nicholas Hopton** on his new book _Maremma Mia_ launched in December: https://www.chiselbury.co.uk/bookstore/p/maremma-mia
**Dr. Dionisius A Agius** on his recent publication _Ships, Saints and Sealore: Cultural Heritage and Ethnography of the Mediterranean and the Red Sea,_ and on his lecture at the seminar of Arabian Studies in December in Abu Dhabi: _Hoist the Sail: In God's Trust we Sail Thereon: Songs of the Arabian Red Sea_
**Anthony Giambagno** on the birth of his first grandchild
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**Dr. Razia Sultanova** and **Hamid Ismailov** on the birth of their first grandchild Misha Rahimovich Ismailov-Law and **Razia** on her participation in “ _Memory Through Melody: Celebrating Sung Histories_ ” at The British Academy where she spoke about the musical traditions of Afghan women, sharing insights into their cultural heritage and resilience through song. Razia also had the opportunity to perform traditional Afghan songs, contributing to a vibrant celebration of memory, identity and history expressed through music. Razia also met Sonia Shehryar in Prague. They have now both left Prague and returned to live in Hertfordshire. Yale University Press has published Hamid’s new book _We Computers A Ghazal Novel_ (August 2025)
**Dr. Julia Bray** Emerita Laudian Professor of Arabic, Emerita Research Fellow St John’s College, Oxford on her recent translation of _Al-Muhassin ibn Ali Al-Tabukhi’s Deliverance Follows Adversity and Table-Talk of a Mesopotamian Judge_ published by the Library of Arabic Literature
**Julian Lush** on the launch of his photobook _Former Days in Oman_ , a fascinating visual record of his time in Oman from 1961-63. Mabrouklyn launched the _Senses of Yemen_ initiative which was held at the Kunstraum Gallery, London in June. **Julian's** collection of Yemeni artefacts and photographs were at the heart of this initiative
**Sir Tom** and **Lady Anne Phillips** on the birth of their grandson Theo
**Anum Ayah** on the birth of a baby boy in November
**Dalya Islam** on her presentation at the Islamic Biennale in Jeddah in May on _The Holistic Architecture of the Amaala 2030 Vision_ . Dalya is Director of Art and Culture for Red Sea Global in Riyadh which oversees the Amaala project
**Sultana Hafiz** on winning a prize in a painting competition in May organised by the Safeyya bin Zagr Museum, Jeddah and Second Prize in the HIPPO English Without Borders World Finals Competition in Assisi, Italy
**Sabiha Omar’s** daughter Mahera on winning the Nepal Film Initiative Award at the Kathmandu Doc Lab 2025 for her documentary _Gard_
**Fatih Aydın** , Balliol College University of Oxford on his appointment as the Founding Chair of the Oxford Türkiye Alumni Society
**Zeenut Ziad** on the launch of her son Dr. Waleed Ziad’s book _Hidden Caliphate: Sufi Saints Beyond the Oxus and Indus_ (Sang-e-Meel Publications) and on her presentation _Female Religious and Political Leadership in the Mughal World_ in Lahore in October at the Indus Conclave
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**Hazel Strouts** on the launch of her book _Three Sons for the Kaiser: A German Family’s Sacrifice in the First World War_ in October in London
**Dr. Laure Marie Caroline Murat** a retired professor from UCLA, California on her book _Proust and Me: A Family Romance_ that won her the prestigious Prix Medicis in 2023
**Paul Hughes-Smith** on the birth of his grandson Tenzin Chőpel in California in September
**Willi** and **Marie-Bénédicte Steul** on the birth of their first grandchild Thimotée Arthur in Vienna
## **NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD**
**Yann Lovelock** helped edit an art encyclopedia in a Taiwanese monastery between 2012 and 2014
**Louis Blin** (Institut Universitaire Européen de Florence) gave a presentation about his new book _Napoléon et l’Islam_ (Editions Erick Bonnier) to the Collège de France in November
**Owain Raw-Rees** was interviewed by Spinks in November: _3 Medals, 3 Stories A Collector’s Journey_
**Dr. Harub Mohamed Said Al-Kharusi** and **James Budd** met in Muscat in January
**James Budd & Dr. Harub Kharusi**
**Shama Husain** , a trustee of the World Wars Muslim Memorial, is actively raising funds for a memorial to be built on a site at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire: www.wwmmt.org
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**Peter Sanders** presented a photographic lecture at the Islamic Biennale in Jeddah in February entitled _Heaven, Earth, and the Ten Thousand Things: The Lives of the Muslims in China_
**Carolyn Perry** decided to step down as a valued trustee of the International Association for the Study of Arabia. We send her every good wish for the future and welcome her continued membership of FOH
**Jamie Bowden OBE** chaired a webinar for Young Diplomats at the British Omani Society headquarters in London in April
**Dr. Emma Clark** , **Justin Majzub** and **Haajar Gouverneur** gave short presentations at a commemoration in honour of Dr. Martin Lings (Shaykh Abu Bakr Siraj Ad-Din) at the Cambridge Muslim College in May
**Alison Shan Price MBE FRGS** has launched free Living History interactive school workshops: _Explore Arabia with Gertrude Bell_ in association with the Gertrude Bell Archive, (which is in the UNESCO International Memory of the World Register) at Newcastle University, to create cultural bridges at an early age. She also delivered a lecture in May for the National Council of Culture and Arts in Kuwait entitled _Consuls, Crinolines and Camels_ at the invitation of Sheikha Hussah al Sabah
**Dr. Jeremy Johns** gave a presentation on _Documenting Multiculturism: The Arabic Documents of Sicily_ at the Khalili Research Centre, University of Oxford in November
**Dr. Aisha Stoby** curated an exhibition _Redrawing the Boundaries: Art Movements and Collectives of the 20th Century Khaleej_ at Hayy Jameel Gallery, Jeddah from May to October
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**Haroon Sugich** and **Peter Sanders** conducted a workshop on the Art of Seeing and the Art of Story Telling in Andalusia in June
The Russell Gallery in London held an exhibition of the paintings of **Caroline Lees** in June
Durham University hosted **the Mohamed Ali Foundation** at a Conference in June organised by the Middle East and Islamic Studies Department where two papers were presented on the Abbas Hilmi Collection, attended by Prince Abbas Hilmi, Sir Hooky Walker, Alan Rush, Nicholas Hopton
**Prince Abbas Hilmi and Alan Rush Sir Hooky Walker**
**William Facey** co-edited _Diary of a Journey Through Inner Arabia,1883-1884_ by Julius Euting. He introduced the book at Queen’s College Oxford, reflecting on its journey from concept to publication and reassessing Euting’s contributions to Arabian scholarship
**Doretta Meshiea’s** daughter Camilla is running Counter 21, a restaurant in London
**Professor Syed Farid Alatas** (Professor of Sociology and Anthropology, National University of Singapore) gave a workshop on _Ibn Khaldun’s Muqaddimah_ at Birkbeck College, University of London in July
**Friends of Socotra (FOS)** annual conference was held in September in Ljubljana. Many thanks to them for listing the FOH website
**Diana Lloyd** retired from Emmanuel College Cambridge in September; her retirement plans included Yemen which to her deep regret have had to be put on hold
FOH has engendered a connection between 2 Friends working enthusiastically on Gertrude Bell; **Alexa-Sascha Lewin** from California, USA and **Alison Shan Price** from Newcastle University, UK
**Marjorie Ransom** , a former US diplomat to Yemen and author of _Silver Treasures from the Land of Sheba: Regional Yemeni Jewelry_ would like to alert FOH about an exhibit on _The Journey of Women: Yemeni Jewelry and Social Growth_ at the Indiana University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in Bloomington in October. The exhibition was made possible
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through the generous donation of the David and Marjorie Ransom Collection of Yemeni Jewelry, to which she has contributed. Hadhrami jewelry and costumes figure prominently in her collection and in the exhibit http://www.ransomsilverspeaks.com
**Trevor Mostyn** reviewed Barnaby Rogerson’s book _The House Divided, Sunni, Shia and the Making of the Middle East_ (Profile Books London) in the Journal of Asian Affairs September 2024. Trevor is a lecturer in Middle East History at the University of Oxford teaching a course on "Islam in the Modern World"
**Sir William Patey** delivered the Hugh Leach Memorial Lecture _Middle East: Continuity or Change_ to the Royal Society of Asian Affairs UK in September
Grainger Valley in Eastern Antarctica was named after **David Grainger’s** pioneering geological work there in 1969. Here pictured with his wonderful wife Ann in Sunderland, both loyal supporters of FOH since 1998!
**Aisha Gray Henry** gave a presentation at George Washington University in November in honour of Dr. Syed Hossein Nasr: _A Momentous Milestone in Islamic Intellectual History_
Clara and Christophe Eybalin on his brother **Nicolas Francois Eybalin’s** appointment as French Ambassador to Andorra
**Michel Mouton** has edited _Deux Campagnes de Prospections au Yémen_ for the International Association for the Study of Arabia Monograph Series
**Vanja Pantovic’s** ballet school Princeza Ksenija, a founding member of the World Dance Education Alliance established in Beijing in 2024 was invited to this year’s gala in Beijing in October. Eight of her ballerinas performed Paganini’s Capricio on the grand stage of the Beijing Dance Academy. What a distinction for a private school from little Montenegro!
## **FROM THE EDITOR**
## Editor: **Muzna al-Qu’aiti** Co-Editor: **Rukhsana Rashid**
The Annual Trustees Meeting as mandated by the Charity Commission will be held at The Little House on Saturday 25[th] July 2026. We welcome comments, suggestions and contributions and reserve the right to edit any material submitted to hadhramaut@btinternet.com
The password for reading newsletters on our website www.hadhramaut.co.uk is _**frankincense**_
**1 8** new Friends joined in 2025 from France, Hongkong, the United Kingdom and the United States of America
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## **Corrigendum**
From Jim Maxwell: “My first name is Wallace, which is a family name and it was always intended that I should be known as James/Jimmy/Jim”.
From Vice Chairman: The Medical Centre is known as Jol Mashah and not Al Jol.
## **Comments on Newsletter 28**
## **United Kingdom London**
- I enjoyed the Newsletter as always!
- I have now read the FOH newsletter. And not one spelling trip up!!! Nothing editorial to comment on except it’s a work of love and dedication by the FOH team. Well done, congratulations.
- Many thanks for the excellent newsletter.
- Congratulations once again on a magnificent Newsletter. We appreciate how much work and commitment goes into it as with everything for FOH. It’s cheering and impressive how much really positive progress you all achieve when other projects can be seen to inch forward painfully!
- Thank you for this very comprehensive newsletter and so good to read about the many projects. I was very sad to learn of the death of Abdullah Zain in April. Also, good to see a mention of an old friend Alison Dingle whom I knew in Sana’a from my time at the language school many years ago.
- I also very much enjoyed reading your Newsletter and was particularly impressed by what a warm, mutually supportive group you represent. I was also impressed by the length of your newsletter as I know how much time and effort that represents! Congratulations on appointing Asma Ibrahim as a trustee. She is a very impressive young woman.
- Congratulations on this amazing 48-page edition.
- What excellent work you do!
- Greatly admiring your brave support for the Hadhramis.
- I was also very glad to see the December 2024 newsletter which I had somehow missed. That is a splendid production, with so much information. It is intriguing that no one has reacted to the image of the ship painting. The painter was in the Royal Navy and stationed near Suez in the First World War. So now I am wondering whether he based the painting on some place he visited nearer the top of the Red Sea.
- • I was very glad to see the December 2024 newsletter. That is a splendid production, with so much information.
## **Flintshire**
- Excellent newsletter especially the account by Nicholas Morris.
## **Hampshire**
- Do you have the words "Must do Better: Must try harder" on a wall at home? The variety and comprehensive coverage of each successive annual newsletter gets better and better. I particularly enjoyed the story of Nicholas Morris' 10 days spent in the Hadhramaut, with the added bonus of the photos. I also take my hat off to your dedicated editorial and production team. It is rare to read such faultlessly edited text, in various languages.
## **Surrey**
- We like to support direct projects rather than those that go through big agencies. For many years we have received a winter fuel allowance and we decided that we would divert it to the Hadhramaut. FOH through Salah are always doing very worthwhile projects for the people of the Hadhramaut. Congratulations and thanks to you all.
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- Well done, an informative and fun Newsletter, which must have taken you weeks of work over the year. If ever Owain Raw Rees decides to herd sheep over London Bridge I would like to have the date in advance to arrange to go and watch.
- • I very much enjoyed reading the newsletter.
- The FOH is a great charity we like to support it because we know that 100 percent of funds go to excellent projects on the ground. We had the most memorable time in the Hadhramaut.
## **Oxfordshire**
- It was indeed a bumper newsletter. Congratulations. I was bowled over by the breadth and depth of what the charity is doing and the reports of its activities and those associated with it. It is so good to see that participation is coming from so many parts of the world.
- Thank you for the newsletter, as fascinating as always, but oh dear, what a world we are living in.
## **Gloucestershire**
- Thank you very much for sending the magnificent newsletter. It must have taken you many hours to compile such an interesting record of the work done by FOH. All the coloured photographs show up very well. I shall spend many hours reading about all the hard work FOH does to help the people of Hadhramaut.
- The newsletter is really beautifully produced. All the coloured photos are very special. Many hours must have been spent compiling the information in such a clear and readable way. The many very generous contributions make us so happy to know that the ambulance for Wadi Hajr is now available to help so many people.
## **Essex**
- The newsletter is great and much appreciated. Such a comprehensive newsletter makes me feel really in touch with other members and their work around the world as well as the continued hard work in Hadhramaut. It is a work of love and dedication. Well done, congratulations!
## **Norfolk**
- I received the FOH newsletter, so impressive all the work you put into this!
## **Edinburgh**
- Thank you so much for your extremely long newsletter which I have read from start to finish with relish! Fascinating.
- I love the Newsletter’s range. Wonderful projects and intimate stories amongst Yemen’s challenges.
## **Tyne and Wear**
- Thank you so much for this! The newsletter is indeed a work of art.
## **Devon**
- I did love reading every word of such a valuable Newsletter. So proud of the work being undertaken by FOH. The skills FOH embodies are beyond excellence and worthy of international recognition.
## **Worcestershire**
- Thanks for the latest newsletter concerning an area that is close to all our hearts. Even though I was only fortunate enough to visit it once, it was a land with which I first became fascinated in my early teens. My experience of the exotic in the Hadhramaut has remained indelible and one that is renewed by the annual arrival of the newsletter.
## **Wiltshire**
- The annual newsletter is of invaluable help.
- I am very humbled to read the details of all that FOH has done: it is just wonderful and such a worthwhile cause.
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## **Germany Berlin**
- Was war das wieder für ein wunderbarer Sommer mit den FOH in Cirencester!!! Die Fotos geben nur einen kleinen Auschnitt davon wieder, Dein umfassender Newsletter erklärt noch viel mehr, was die FoH alles geschafften haben! Dafür gebührt FOH ein riesiges Dankeschön und eigentlich auch ein tolles Geschenk.
## **Netherlands Utrecht**
- It's a huge honour to be involved in FOH. Thank you for all that FOH and Salah do. I've greatly enjoyed reading the Newsletter.
## **France**
## **Paris**
- Merci pour votre nouveau numéro très intéressant et riche en informations.
- It is a pleasure to be able to make a small donation to such a wonderful cause
**Curbans**
- I am happy to support your cause and glad to know that I am contributing to the specific needs of the people, identified by Salah who knows, understands and truly helps those in need. I have great respect for your work.
- **Bordeaux** • J'ai bien apprécié votre Newsletter de Friends of Hadhramaut.
## **Norway**
## **Oslo**
- Newsletter 28 was another great contribution to the story of FOH and everyone who contributes to it in various ways. The FOH event that John and Patricia Ducker held at their home was a brilliant example of both the joy of giving and organisational talent. I also had the opportunity to check up on the rights of a "Freeman of London" after reading that Owain Raw-Rees is the bearer of this title.
## **Singapore**
- Beautiful. Thank you very much.
**Canada**
**Ottawa**
• Delighted to see FOH is still alive and well. **Montreal** • Please pass on my profound admiration to all my health care colleagues working tirelessly in the Hadhramaut and all the volunteers who assist them.
- Incredible efforts and accomplishments in the Hadhramaut region.
## **Egypt Cairo**
- Best wishes for all the wonderful work which FOH does all the year round.
## **Australia New South Wales**
- The Hon Justice John P. Bryson QC writes: Newsletter 28 was of absorbing and heartening interest, demonstrating practical goodwill for the Hadhramaut from Friends in many countries, and practical improvements in the lives of many people: supporting
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faith in humanity. I also found absorbing the many echoes of older times and British presence, and Nicholas Morris’ wonderful recollections and anecdotes, which reopened for me a world which I knew mainly through conversations with James and Joanna Ellis. Jim Ellis was my dear wife’s cousin and a great narrator, and his ability, energy and goodwill shone out of his recollections; and the same qualities shine from Nicholas Morris’ writings. Morris speaks of Michael Crouch, whom I knew late in his life when he lived in retirement in Perth, Western Australia, and he too was a great narrator. He left his recollections in his book “An Element of Luck: To South Arabia and Return” and published a second edition while in Perth.
## **ARCHIVE ON HADHRAMAUT**
The Hadhramaut Governorate, the largest geographically in the Republic of Yemen, has only about 8 percent of the country’s population and holds 80 percent of its oil reserves. We ask Friends to contribute short articles for this section and to send us any rare/interesting photographs of the Hadhramaut. We would love to read your memories of time spent in the Hadhramaut especially from those “oldies” who lived there before 1967.
**The Ancient Kingdoms of South Arabia**
## **The Ben Line 1825-1982: An Anecdotal History by Michael Strachan**
We are very grateful to **Gavin Strachan** for sharing the following information with FOH and for alerting us to his father’s book which was published in 1992.
Gavin Strachan’s parents, Michael and Iris Strachan, visited Mukalla in February 1959. At the time Michael was a Director of the Edinburgh-based Ben Line shipping company which traded between Europe and the Far East, and later became its Chairman. His book recounts their stay with “the British Resident, a bachelor named AJ McIntosh, widely known as _Touche._ Like many British, he had a deep affinity with Arabs and was very knowledgeable about their ways, while they revered him as a father figure and many came to the Residency to seek his advice.
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“McIntosh told us that Mukalla had recently been visited by a British Parliamentary Delegation. In advance of the delegation’s arrival, he felt it necessary to warn the Sultan (Awadh bin Saleh al-Qu’aiti) that the MPs would be extremely displeased if they discovered that he kept slaves. (He) took the point and informed his slaves that they were to be freed. This caused consternation: the slaves said they were well fed, not overworked, and liked living in the palace; it would be very cruel to turn them out – how were they to make a living? Eventually a happy solution was found; their appearance was disguised in a form of military dress, and for the duration of the delegation’s visit they were passed off as the Sultan’s private household troops”.
Ben Line ships did not call regularly at Aden or Mukalla as P&O and the Glen Line had the main rights to do so. However, the cheapest bunkers (fuel oil) in the 1950s and 1960s for ships plying between SE Asia and Europe were in Aden so it was a refueling point for the Ben Line ships which ran a regular liner service between NW Europe and ports between Kuala Lumpur and Tokyo. The visit in 1959 was an expeditionary one as the interest at that time in Mukalla was partly based on the success or not of oil exploration in the Hadhramaut, but this did not really take off.
Gavin Strachan remembers his parents talking about their time in Hadhramaut with affection and receiving letters from his mother complete with sketches of the dress worn by those they saw.
## **Article on Hadhrami Hyderabadis**
The BYS awarded the annual Research Grant for 2024 to **Jean Franco** for his MSc thesis: _Religion, lineage, and mobility among the Hadhrami diaspora in Barkas, Hyderabad: A visual ethnographic study_ . This thesis proposed a visual ethnographic study of the Hadhrami diaspora in the Barkas neighbourhood of Hyderabad, India. After being recruited as soldiers in the Nizam's army in the late 18th century, Hyderabad state saw a wave of Yemeni migration. Today, Barkas remains home to a significant community of people of Hadhrami descent. By focusing on how Hadhrami–Hyderabadis maintain cultural continuity while navigating modern regional challenges, the project aims to contribute to ongoing scholarship on the Yemeni, and specifically the Hadhrami, diaspora. This thesis aimed not only to deepen academic understanding of the Hadhrami diaspora but also to serve as a lasting cultural document of, and for, the community. Its interdisciplinary approach – incorporating participatory filmmaking, which involves interlocutors in the research process – combined anthropological inquiry with experimental visual methods. Jean recently completed his studies at the University of Amsterdam.
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We are very pleased to share a link to his article: _Where Are You? Where Are You? A Visual Ethnographic Study of Identity Formation, Genealogy, and Indian Ocean Cosmopolitanism among Hadhrami Hyderabadis_ from the recent BYS Journal with the kind permission of the Editor Noel Brehony and the Chair Taher Qassim: JeanFRancofinal.docx - Google Docs
**Riyan Airport in the 1960s**
**The Qu’aiti Palace in Mukalla in the 1930s**
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## **Ash-Shehr**
Scene of the wall of the brave city of **El-Shahar** drawn by British **2[nd] Lieutenant AM Little** (Royal Guard Artillery) on 20[th] July 1902 showing the stretch of the town’s defenses delineating its gates and important buildings inside and outside the walls. There are also references to surrounding topography including the depth of the coastal waters shown by stakes. The hot springs at Tubalah are still in situ and a famous site to this day.
**Ash-Shehr.’ [37r] (1/2), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/20/59, f 37, in Qatar Digital Library [accessed 26 October 2025]**
**Copyright obtained from Mary Evans Picture Library**
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## **Philatelic Snippets**
**Jabaal Thukmein at the entrance to Wadi Hadhramaut**
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## **Adela Mary Evelyn (Nee Monins), Viscountess Broome (1893-1986) Aden Diary January 1938**
Thanks to Dr. Noel Brehony, FOH was contacted in March regarding a fascinating diary written by Adela Broome in 1938 when she visited Harold and Doreen Ingrams in the Hadhramaut. Colonel Nick Beard (a former army officer who served in South Arabia) very kindly alerted Dr. Brehony to the diary: "it is a copy of the diary written by Adela Broome describing a visit she made to stay with Harold and Doreen Ingrams in 1938. Her daughter, Lady Kenya Tatton-Brown (nee Kitchener) was bridesmaid to Doreen at her wedding in the Savoy Chapel, London in 1931. I asked Lady Broome’s granddaughter Charlotte Appleby if FOH could be given permission to excerpt parts of the diary relating to the Hadhramaut and she graciously agreed, delighted that we would like to include excerpts from her grandmother's diary". We are very grateful to Colonel Nick Beard for apprising us of this fascinating account of a historic visit made almost 9 decades ago. Please read excerpts in the link: FOH NL 29 Adela Broome Aden Diary.doc
Those wishing a printed version of the 14-page diary may request one by email: hadhramaut@btinternet.com
## **ITEMS FOR SALE**
**The items listed below are for sale from the FOH registered address**
English bone china mugs with FOH logo at **£12 each** or **£20 for 2**
**(Photograph courtesy David Halford)**
David Grainger has donated 2 sets of _The Geologic Evolution of Saudi Arabia, A Voyage Through Space and Time_ to FOH at **£50** per set (published Saudi Geological Survey 2007)
Peter Danby-Smith writes: Thank you very much for David Grainger’s book, beautifully presented. It has been a joy to read and I am sure it will become a classic of its kind.
Copies of _Hadhramaut and its Diaspora: Yemeni Politics, Identity and Migration_ (ed. Dr. Noel Brehony) at **£25** each
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**A metal/enamel lapel badge produced by Thomas Fattorini Ltd and designed by Owain Raw-Rees at £5 each**
## **LEGACIES AND WILLS**
Those thinking about leaving a legacy to FOH can check our bona fides by consulting the website of the Charity Commission of England & Wales: **www.charitycommission.gov.uk.** FOH is registered with the Commissioners under Charity Number 1062560 since May 1997. If you are planning your will (or making additions to an existing one) we cannot over emphasise how grateful we, and the poorest people of Hadhramaut would be for a bequest from you. If there is a particular project you are interested in supporting, or specific terms and conditions you would like to make, please contact the treasurer or ask your solicitor to do so.
## **GIFT AID**
Gift Aid is extremely valuable to FOH and may be claimed only on unencumbered donations upon which the donor has paid UK Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax at least equal to the amount of Gift Aid claimed in the relevant tax year. We would like to thank **Fflur Raw-Rees** for completing the necessary gift aid paperwork.
## **WANTED**
**Hazel Strouts** would like to find a home for her late husband's (legal) library. There are at least 500 books with a good few on Roman and Greek law and culture. All books will be donated provided the buyer can arrange for their collection from her home. If anyone is interested, please contact her directly: Hazel Strouts, Little Bishopsden, Biddenden, Kent, TN27 8DS. hstrouts@hotmail.com FOH HS Legal Book List.pdf
**From a Greek and Latin book dated 1675 Glimpse of the library**
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## **FOH ANNUAL ACCOUNTS**
Our audited accounts and official returns (as required by UK law) are prepared by the Treasurer and presented to the Charity Commissioner online, after an Independent Examination by Tariq Isa. The accounts may be inspected on the Charity Commission’s website: www.charitycommission.gov.uk
## **FUTURE EVENTS**
**Dr. Shahina Ghazanfar** (FOH 7.7.2000) has very kindly agreed to give us a talk on the Flora of South Arabia at the Nash Conservatory in Kew Gardens, Surrey on **Thursday 23[rd] July 2026** to be followed by an Afternoon Tea at Fulham Palace. Further details will be sent in the Spring.
**Dr. Warwick Ball** (retired archaeologist) will be giving a lecture at Senate House, University of London on **4[th] February 2026** : _Buddhist Elements in the Art and Architecture of Early Islamic Afghanistan_
## **CONTACT DETAILS**
**FRIENDS OF HADHRAMAUT: Registered Charity No. 1062560 Address: 48 Richmond Park Road, London SW14 8JT UK Telephone: +44 (0) 2083929823**
_(The telephone is not always attended; messages may be left and are dealt with regularly)_
**Email: hadhramaut@btinternet.com Website: www.hadhramaut.co.uk Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/FriendsofHadhramaut/ Instagram: friendsofhadhramaut**
**Please make all cheques payable to "Friends of Hadhramaut". We encourage all Friends to donate via online bank transfer for efficiency and cost saving**
## **Sterling Account**
**Virgin Money** United Kingdom **Account name:** Friends of Hadhramaut **Sort Code:** 821107 **Account Number:** 60572139 **IBAN:** GB35CLYD82110760572139 **BIC:** CLYDGB21943
**FOH Trustees have reluctantly increased the life subscription to £30/€35 due to the rising costs of miscellaneous charges such as photocopying, postage, printing and stationery.**
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FRJENDS OF HADHRAMAUT
YEMENI RIYAL INCOME & EXPENDITURE 2025
INCOME
Brought forward from 2024
Transfers from Sterling account
Donations in HadIaut
65.458.795
56.638.000
4.000.000
TOTAL INCOME
12fi096,795
EXPENDITURE
Administrntion
Phone calls
Transportation
Payment for Services
740,000
13.436.000
739,000
14,915,000
Aid & Donations
Imba'a Medical Centre Project
Medicines & Free Medical Check-ups at 3 Clinics Mukalla Area
Food, Medical & Educational aid to P(M)r families & Individuals
14,550,000
5,?70,000
33,398.400
53218,400
TOTAL EXPENDITURE
68,133,400
INCOME LESS EXPENDITURE
57,9&1J95
Balance held with Messrs Al-umqi on ?1.7.?026 (Local Banker)
57963J95
941kn* J-@
Sultana F S aI-Quaiti (TrsUrer)
FRIENDS OF HADHRAMAUT
Registered Cbarity No. 1062560
Sterling Income and Expenditure 2025
INCOME
Brought fonvard from 2024
Subscriptions
DonatLons
Gift Aid
13.791.84
400.00
44.269.35
2,101.25
TOTAL INCOME
60,562.44
EXPENDITURE
Administration
Accommodation
Stationery
Printing and Photocopying
Postage
Phone c1$
Transportation
Purchases for event
Webm&ster
Computer items
Bank Charges
Transters to Y¢m¢ni Rials (Vlcc-chairn'S Acllnt)
210.88
50.94
1,381.41
273.81
12.07
458.17
2,234.59
203.86
367.82
55.60
49.925.74
TOTAL EXPENDITURE
55,174.89
tNCOME LESS EXPENDITURE: Balance at 31.122025
5,387.55
£,-f£a
SULTANA FS AL-QUAITI MBE
Tariq S. K. Isa Greystones, Edgeworth Nr. Stroud Gloucestershire GL6 7JG United Kingdom
Dated: 5 August 2026
## **Independent Examiner's Report on the Accounts of Friends of Hadhramaut**
(Registered Charity Number 1062560) for the year ended 31 December 2025.
I, **Tariq S. K. Isa** , of Greystones, Edgeworth, Gloucestershire, confirm that I have examined the accounts of Friends of Hadhramaut for the year ended 31 December 2025 in accordance with Section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 and the Directions given by the Charity Commission. My examination covered both the Sterling and Yemeni Rial accounts.
The preparation of the charity's accounts is the responsibility of the Trustees. I have been engaged to conduct an independent examination. The accounts are not required to be audited under statute, and no audit has been undertaken.
My role is to review the accounts and to consider whether any material matters have come to my attention which give me cause to believe that:
- I. Proper accounting records have not been kept; or
II. The accounts do not accord with those records; or
III. The accounts do not comply with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011.
Based on my examination, no such matters have come to my attention. I confirm that the accounts have been prepared by the Trustees on a receipts and payments basis and I have no reason to doubt their accuracy.
I am independent of the charity and have the requisite professional expertise. I am a serial entrepreneur and investor. My experience in advising startups, analysing investment opportunities, and managing our own investment portfolio equips me with the financial knowledge and independence required to act as Independent Examiner.
Signed: Name: Tariq S. K. Isa Independent Examiner Date: 5 August 2026