Prince William in the UAE: five highlights of his trip

The Duke of Cambridge captivated the public during first official visit to the Emirates

Prince William plants mangrove seedlings with pupils. Victor Besa / The National

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, visit the UAE pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. After the tour, they were due to hold a private bilateral meeting. Getty

Prince William visits the UK Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Victor Besa / The National

Visitors outside the UK Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Victor Besa / The National

Prince William greets Expo visitors outside the UK Pavilion. Victor Besa / The National

The UK Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Victor Besa / The National

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, right, and Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth, accompany Prince William on the tour. Getty

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, right, and Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth, accompany Prince William on the tour. Getty

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed and Prince William chat inside the UAE pavilion. Getty

Prince William watches a display inside the UAE Pavilion, accompanied by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed and Noura Al Kaabi. Getty

The Duke of Cambridge signs the pavilion guestbook. Getty

Prince William speaking in the DP World Pavilion, EXPO 2020 Dubai. Victor Besa / The National

Prince William speaking in the DP World Pavilion, EXPO 2020 Dubai. Victor Besa / The National

Prince William speaking in the DP World Pavilion, EXPO 2020 Dubai. Victor Besa / The National

Prince William speaking in the DP World Pavilion, EXPO 2020 Dubai. Victor Besa / The National

Prince William, centre, visits Jebel Ali Port in Dubai. AFP

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, chairman and chief executive of DP World, speaks to the prince about work to tackle the illegal wildlife trade. Getty

The duke’s visit to the port is part of a busy tour of the UAE. Getty

Prince William's visit will build on the strong bond between the UK and the UAE. Getty

The duke travelled from Abu Dhabi to Dubai to visit one of the world’s busiest ports. John Dennehy / The National

Prince William sees how goods are monitored in and out of the port. John Dennehy / The National

Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, member of Abu Dhabi Executive Council and chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office, visits Jubail Mangrove Park with the prince. Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office

Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed and Prince William at the mangrove park in Abu Dhabi. Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office

Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed with Prince William. Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office

Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed with Prince William and pupils at Jubail Mangrove Park. Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office

The prince and companies in the UAE are working together to protect flora and fauna. Victor Besa / The National

Children tend to seedlings after meeting Prince William. Victor Besa / The National

The seedlings were planted at Jubail Mangrove Park in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

Lilly-Rose Mayall and Amaan Haider of the British School Al Khubairat plant mangrove seedlings. Victor Besa / The National

The view from Prince William's plane as he arrives in Dubai. Photo: Kensington Royal

Prince William during a visit to Edinburgh, Scotland, last year. The Duke of Cambridge is visiting the UAE for his first official trip to the Emirates. Getty

Pupils at Victory Heights Primary school thought of some burning questions for Prince William before his visit to Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National

Prince William visited Expo 2020 Dubai. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai

Prince William made his first official trip to the Emirates on Thursday.

The royal had a packed schedule, meeting with schoolchildren, hearing about Abu Dhabi's mangrove project and touring Expo 2020 Dubai with Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai.

Here are five highlights of his trip.

Meeting pupils

The Duke of Cambridge’s first engagement was at Abu Dhabi’s Jubail Mangrove Park.

He planted mangrove saplings with green-fingered school pupils from The British School Al Khubairat, Abu Dhabi, which has strong links to the UK and the British Embassy.

Crouching down, the Duke of Cambridge was shown by Amaan Haider, 13, and Lilly-Rose Mayall, 12, how to plant a mangrove sapling.

“He’s doing a lot of good trying to help the younger generation protect the environment as much as we can,” said Amaan.

“He’s really inspirational and I’m really excited to meet him," said Lilly-Rose.

“He knows so much about the environment and he also helps a lot, which is really amazing.”

Learning about Abu Dhabi’s major mangrove project

The prince heard about Abu Dhabi’s ambitious plans to establish the emirate as a global hub for research and innovation in support of the conservation of mangroves, during a walk with Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office.

Plans include a mangrove nursery, which will act as a research and learning centre.

The Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative will be implemented by the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi and has already secured its first partnership with the Zoological Society of London, a charity of which Queen Elizabeth II is a patron.

The society will field test different approaches with the aim of bolstering mangroves for future generations.

The programme will also develop outreach, training and advocacy for mangrove restoration, both locally and internationally, to address the climate crisis and safeguard biodiversity.

Hearing how customs tackle illegal wildlife trade

Prince William retraced Queen Elizabeth's visit to Jebel Ali Port, 43 years after she opened it during a landmark trip to the Middle East.

The port has since become the busiest in the Middle East and one of the biggest in the world, where 10 per cent of all global container traffic passes through.

Prince William saw how customs officers tackle the illegal trade in wildlife, watching as a container was taken off the stacks to be X-rayed.

It was then taken for a further check, with papers examined before the hold was searched for contraband.

The Duke of Cambridge watched as eagle-eyed officers discovered trafficked tusks hidden in the container.

The two princes

Prince William was shown around Expo 2020 Dubai by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai.

They visited the UAE pavilion, located at the heart of the world’s fair, accompanied by Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth and commissioner general.

The Duke of Cambridge also learned about Emirati culture and heritage.

Launching the Earthshot prize, a global competition seeking innovative ideas about how to repair our planet and its environment, he said: “Visiting the incredible pavilions at Expo 2020, I was struck by the optimistic message Dubai is sending to its millions of international visitors – that when the world comes together, we can create a better tomorrow.

“It is a vision that is shared by the UK too, as demonstrated by our two countries’ strong and enduring links.”

His visit coincided with UK 'national day' celebrations.

Wowing the crowds at Expo

Prince William was greeted with chants of “William, William, William” by people waving Union Jack flags as he left the UK pavilion.

He took the time to meet and greet them; many had waited for hours to see him.

“It is exciting to know he is right here,” said one.

“I’m from South Africa, so growing up it was part of the Commonwealth. I will be in awe to see him and will be sending a picture, hopefully, to my mother soon.”