The couple initially came to New York in the early 1970s. He was serving as a second secretary at the United Nations and she was working on her master’s degree in economics at New York University, which took four years of night classes. “When I started I already had a three-week-old baby,” she said, “and I became pregnant with my second one before I graduated.” Today, their son, 32-year-old Fareed, and his wife Maisa have their own children: Sami, a 3-year-old, and Faris, who is 10 months. Their married daughter Farah is 27 and organizes events and health conferences back in Dubai. She graduated from the University of Hartford in Connecticut with a bachelor’s degree in business and a master’s in organizational behavior. Farah married her high school sweetheart, Azzan Al-Said, who is about to finish his business degree while managing his own music and video company. The children aren’t the only ones in school though. Recently, Al-Hinai went back to school himself to get a second master’s degree in administrative sciences from Fairleigh Dickinson University, which has a special program for diplomats. “In one of my courses, I was asked to write a 25-page paper on the [information technology] policies of my government. It was a daunting task because I had little or no reference material to rely on and, what was worse, I could get no information online nor from friends in Oman,” Al-Hinai recalled. “I seized the opportunity of our one-week spring break and flew to Oman, where I was able to meet and talk to the right people and gather enough material to start writing. When I handed in my paper, I told my professor, ‘This is the most expensive paper ever written because it cost me a return ticket to Oman.’ I got an ‘A’ but I hope it was for the contents of my paper and not out of pity that I was a few thousand dollars poorer!” Al-Hinai met his wife when they were both university students in Cairo. “He was working on his master’s in English language and literature and I was getting my bachelor’s in commerce and economics,” she explained. The two made contact through his eldest brother who was, at that time, ambassador to Egypt. Her half brother was also married to his sister. So was it love at first sight? “Well, six months later we were married,” he said, laughing. “And this March, we will have been together for 35 years.” “We are both fun-loving and outgoing and we saw that in each other,” she said. “We both like movies and restaurants and during those days in Cairo, there was a lot of socializing. It was definitely ‘the’ place to be for students from different parts of the world.” When they first arrived in the United States, they shared parenting duties so that Al-Mughairy could attend night school. I asked if that arrangement was unusual for an Omani couple. “We always have had an equal parenting role,” she replied. “That is more typical now for Omani couples, but for the older generation, it was not the custom.” “As parents,” he added, “we had an agreement that if one of us made a decision or rule, the other one would back it up.” Although the children are now grown, with two hectic jobs in two different cities, how do they arrange any private time together? “We try to get together every other weekend and he usually comes here,” said Al-Mughairy. “I love the train—no delays. It’s great,” he said, noting that he was heading down to Union Station as soon as we finished our afternoon interview. “And it’s so convenient because you arrive right in Manhattan and can read and work on your way.” His city life is equally efficient. “I live on the East Side at 54th and First,” he said. “So I only have six blocks to my office and eight blocks to the U.N. I always walk, unless it is snowing or raining heavily.” Likewise, she can walk from their home on 23rd Street to her Washington office, which is on Belmont Road. “I love to walk through this beautiful Kalorama neighborhood,” she noted. On weekends when they are together, they enjoy catching a movie (recent outings include “The Bourne Ultimatum” and “Becoming Jane”) or watch an opera. They also both enjoy classical music and Al-Hinai plays the piano. “It’s a wonderful way to relax,” he said, smiling broadly at his wife. Although the whole family fasts during Ramadan, they love to eat different ethnic foods when they can. “We are very adventuresome,” Al-Mughairy said. Added her husband: “We love Chinese, Mexican, French and, of course, Middle Eastern food. But most of all we love going to American steak houses.” For exercise, he is getting ready for his second New York City Marathon in 2008, currently running about five to six miles a day around town at night and in Central Park on the weekends. (He finished his first marathon in 2003.) “I even run at home in the midst of Oman’s summer heat,” Al-Hinai said. “It’s a great time for me to solve problems.” She prefers to walk or swim. “At home [in Oman], I walk on the beach and here I love Rock Creek Park. I go for 45 minutes when I can. I love to walk along the creek—it can be so quiet. I always am reminded of Teddy Roosevelt and his leadership style. He loved hiking in Rock Creek Park, often taking ambassadors with him and leaving them panting! “But one place I love the most is the National Archives Building,” she added. “I just love to see all those old records, papers signed by American presidents.” So where is home for this diplomatic duo? “When we are in Oman, we miss it here,” she said. “And when we are here, we miss Oman,” he echoed. Gail Scott is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat and lifestyle columnist for the Diplomatic Pouch.

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