Timeframe: When Princess Anne rode into Dubai in 1984 as part of her Gulf tour

The British royal attended a banquet and took part in a horse riding event

Princess Anne prepares to take part in a horse show in Dubai during her 1984 royal tour of the Gulf. Getty Images

In late 1984, Anne, the UK’s Princess Royal, embarked on a royal tour of the Gulf, visiting several countries in the region, including the UAE.

Among the much publicised stops was her visit to Dubai in early December, where she took part in a banquet as well as a horse riding event. Several pictures show the princess donning a black jacket and a riding hat as she prepares to take part in the horse show.

The princess is passionate about equestrian sports and has regularly attended horse riding shows in the region. As part of her royal tour, she also attended a horse riding show in Abu Dhabi. She attended the event with her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips, who she divorced in 1992.

In 1987, she paid another official visit to Dubai. She was greeted by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and pupils at Dubai English Speaking School. The princess also opened the emirate's first international showjumping event.

There are several testimonies fondly recalling the princess’s visits to Dubai.

In a May 2024 post on X, Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, founding chairman of the Al Habtoor Group, recalled meeting members of the British royal family, among them Princess Anne. "In the 1980s, I had the pleasure of hosting Princess Anne at the Metropolitan Hotel in Dubai,” he wrote. “She visited at my invitation and attended a horse show that we regularly host at our hotels.”

The hotel’s staff also recalled meeting the princess in an article in Al Shindagah magazine. "Princess Anne was here in 1980-81 for a horse show,” Maqbool Hussain Khan from the hotel’s personnel department said. “The staff were all excited at the prospect of getting to see her in person.”

Princess Anne has frequently visited the UAE over the decades. Most recently, she visited Dubai in March. The princess visited the DP World pavilion at Dubai Expo City in her role as president of The Mission to Seafarers charity, calling for greater female representation in the shipping industry.