Thomas Allan has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain, succeeding Alastair Long. Allan is expected to take up the appointment during January 2027, according to the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Long will transfer to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Allan currently serves as British Ambassador-designate to Bahrain and previously held senior roles across the UK government.
Thomas Allan Diplomatic background
Thomas Allan has worked across foreign policy, national security, international development and economic policy.
Most recently, he served as Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office from January 2023 to July 2026. He then became British Ambassador-designate to Bahrain in August 2026.
Before joining the FCDO, Allan was Deputy Director at the National Security Secretariat in the Cabinet Office from January 2020 to December 2022. He also spent 12 years with the Department for International Development, including roles in London, Tanzania, Yemen and Sierra Leone.
Experience across government and diplomacy
Allan’s earlier roles included Private Secretary to the Permanent Secretary at DFID from 2018 to 2019. He also served as Deputy Head of Office at DFID Tanzania between 2014 and 2017.
Earlier in his career, he worked as an Economic Adviser with DFID Yemen and DFID Sierra Leone. He also served as an Economist in the Policy Division.
His public sector career began with roles in economic and policy work. He served as an Economist at the Department of Health and Social Care from 2005 to 2007. Before that, he was a Policy Officer with UNESCO in Ethiopia.
Thomas Allan new role in Bahrain
As His Majesty’s Ambassador to Bahrain, Allan will succeed Alastair Long following Long’s transfer to another Diplomatic Service appointment.
The appointment comes after Allan’s recent work as Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at the FCDO. His previous assignments have included roles covering government policy, national security, international development and economic affairs.
Allan holds a Master of Science in Economics from SOAS University of London, completed between 2001 and 2002.
The FCDO announced the appointment on 6 August 2026. Allan will take up his ambassadorial post in Bahrain during January 2027.
