UAE leaders meet King Charles III at Cop28

British monarch will make a speech at the climate summit on Friday

President Sheikh Mohamed meets King Charles III at Expo City Dubai during the Cop28 summit. Presidential Court

Live updates: Follow the latest news on Cop28

UAE leaders met King Charles III at Cop28 in Expo City Dubai on Thursday.

President Sheikh Mohamed welcomed the British monarch's participation in the global climate change summit and thanked him for his support on environmental issues.

The meeting at Expo City Dubai provided Sheikh Mohamed and King Charles with an opportunity to discuss co-operation between the two countries, particularly in the areas of sustainability, environmental protection and climate action.

They emphasised that Cop28 was vital to developing new and impactful ways for countries to work together to fight climate change.

They also witnessed the launch of the Business and Philanthropy Climate Forum at Cop28, which will involve more than 1,000 chief executives and philanthropists from about 80 countries on Friday and Saturday.

Hosted under the Cop28 Presidency and the Sustainable Markets Initiative, the forum brings together business leaders, philanthropists and policymakers to find effective climate change solutions.

It also seeks to connect philanthropists and global business leaders with the Cop28 action plan to contribute to the development of climate finance mechanisms.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, also met King Charles on the sidelines of the climate summit.

During the meeting, Sheikh Mohammed welcomed the king to the UAE and Cop28. He praised the British monarch's significant global contributions to combating climate change.

Their discussions focused on strengthening international co-operation to reduce emissions, achieve net-zero and promote sustainable practices.

King Charles, who is widely known for his environmental activism, will deliver a speech at the summit on Friday.

While in the UAE, he will also have meetings with regional leaders.

On Thursday, he met students from Heriot-Watt University Dubai and visited the university's climate centre, which was set up to coincide with Cop28.

As Prince of Wales, he delivered the opening address at Cop26 in Glasgow in 2021 and Cop21 in Paris in 2015.