It will be the Prince’s first official trip to the UAE…

The UK’s Prince William will travel to Dubai next month to mark the UK National Day celebrations at Expo 2020 Dubai. The short visit will see Prince William, who will be making his first official trip to the UAE, visit Expo 2020 on February 10, Kensington Palace has announced.

The trip will mark Prince William’s first major overseas visit since before the pandemic. He was last in the Middle East in 2019 for an overseas tour, which took the prince to Oman and Kuwait for a four-day tour.

The last time British royals were in Dubai was when his father, Prince Charles, and the Duchess of Cornwall visited during an official visit to the Middle East in 2016, when they also travelled to Oman and Bahrain. Prince William will travel without his wife Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, and his three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

‘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,’ Kensington Palace said in a statement.

During his visit, it’s expected that Prince William will learn about the initiatives in place in the region to protect areas of unique flora and fauna. He’s also expected to use the visit as an opportunity to highlight his environmental award, the Earthshot Prize, and his United for Wildlife initiative, which looks to tackle the illegal wildlife trade.

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