Prince William focuses on conservation during first UAE trip

Dubai: Britain’s Prince William made his first official visit to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, where the future monarch is highlighting his passionate work around wildlife conservation and climate change.

The one-day visit by the Duke of Cambridge marks a significant milestone in relations between the U.K. and the UAE, a Western-allied Gulf Arab nation ruled by hereditary leaders. The prince is expected to meet with Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the son of Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Sheikh Mohammed’s headline-grabbing divorce settlement and custody battle has played out in British courts over the past year.

Queen Elizabeth II first visited the UAE as monarch in 1979, while Prince Charles’ last visit was in 2016. The former British protectorate is a magnet for British nationals, whose culture permeates nearly every aspect of expatriate life in this country of over 9 million, where foreigners comprise around 90% of the population.

There are more than 100,000 British citizens living in the UAE and more than 6,000 British companies operating in the country, according to the British Business Group in Dubai and Northern Emirates. The Duke of Cambridge’s visit coincides with the U.K.’s national day at Expo 2020, the world’s fair taking place in Dubai.

Prince William is expected to visit the U.K. pavilion and tour the $7 billion grounds of the Expo site, where he will discuss the importance of conservation efforts with young Emiratis, offi cials and conservationists. One initiative close to Prince William’s heart is United for Wildlife, established in 2014 by the duke to help facilitate efforts to counter the trade in illegal wildlife.

In his first stop in Dubai, Prince William visited DP World’s massive Jebel Ali Port, where he watched cargo being unloaded from container ships by crane and then scanned and inspected by customs. This is apparently aimed at highlighting efforts tackling the illegal wildlife trade. —AP