DUBAI, 21 January 2022 – Prince William will visit the UAE in February, with a programme that coincides with the country’s 50th anniversary and the UK National Day being held at Expo 2020 Dubai on 10 February.
The visit is at the request of the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and will be part of His Royal Highness’ first official visit to the UAE.
The National Day at Expo will see the UK showcase the extraordinary talent from across the country. His Royal Highness will join these celebrations, which will also feature the Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay, launched by Her Majesty from Buckingham Palace in October 2021, as it parades through the Expo site to visit Commonwealth National Pavilions.
The bond between the UK and the UAE is deep and strong, and Prince William’s visit will highlight and build upon these links, as he has the opportunity to engage with young Emiratis, leaders from government and committed conservationists.
His Royal Highness attaches a particular importance to the natural world, a passion that was shared by the UAE’s founding father, His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
During the visit, Prince William will learn more about initiatives that provide protected areas for the unique flora and fauna of the region, and take the opportunity to highlight two Royal Foundation programmes: United for Wildlife and The Earthshot Prize.
United for Wildlife, established by Prince William in 2014, has been working in the region to help facilitate efforts to counter the trade in illegal wildlife, which poses an existential threat to the world’s most iconic species. Countries all over the world, including the UAE, are making a collective effort to tackle this USD 150 billion criminal enterprise, and during his visit His Royal Highness will learn more about public-private partnerships in the UAE helping to achieve this.
The visit also provides an opportunity to showcase The Earthshot Prize on the world stage at Expo 2020 Dubai.
Expo 2020, along with DP World, its Global Trade Partner, is a Global Alliance Founding Partner of The Earthshot Prize – the huge global environment initiative founded by the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and established by Prince William. Highlighting some of the remarkable innovators from the inaugural 2021 Earthshot Prize will help accelerate and scale their incredible solutions to repair the planet.