What to expect from Prince William's milestone visit to the UAE

The British royal will join a parade at Expo 2020 Dubai and meet Emirati youths

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrive at the Earthshot Prize awards ceremony at Alexandra Palace, London on October 17. Reuters

Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge wore an Alexander McQueen dress that she was previously seen in at the Bafta Brits to Watch event in Los Angeles on July 9, 2011 (left). Getty Images

The royals are seen in the audience during the Earthshot Prize ceremony. Getty Images

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrive for the first Earthshot Prize awards. Reuters

The ceremony was held at Alexandra Palace in London. Reuters

The Duchess of Cambridge wore her hair to the side, with sparking drop earrings. Reuters

Visitors to Expo 2020 Dubai will have a chance to see Britain's Prince William during his first official trip to the Emirates next week.

The world's fair will celebrate the UK's day of celebrations on Thursday, February 10.

The Duke of Cambridge will meet young Emiratis, government leaders and staff from the UK pavilion on the same day. No special tickets are required to enter Expo 2020 Dubai on the day and the site will be open to the public as usual.

The visit by the prince aims to build on the strong bond between the UK and UAE.

Though full details of his itinerary have not yet been released, Prince William will join several events and celebrations that highlight talent from across the UK.

He is expected to lead the Queen’s Baton Relay parade as it moves through the sprawling Expo site, passing through Commonwealth national pavilions, including Jamaica, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

During a visit to the world’s fair by Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in December, visitors were able to catch a glimpse of him as he made his way through Al Wasl Plaza, the Saudi Pavilion and other areas of the site.

Some walkways may be fenced off to allow Prince William to move freely throughout his tour but, if previous visits are anything to go by, it is expected that the royal will engage with the public when passing by crowds.

As a big conservationist, the prince will also learn more about the initiatives protecting areas of unique flora and fauna in the region and he will meet leading figures heading the programmes.

He will also have the opportunity to highlight his environmental award, the Earthshot Prize, and his United for Wildlife initiative tackling the illegal wildlife trade.

In April last year, Prince William was one of a host of people who signed a petition calling on the public to help repair the planet on Earth Day.

The letter, published in the lead-up to the Leaders Summit on Climate, which was hosted at Expo, urged the world to “harness that same spirit of invention” witnessed during the Covid-19 pandemic to repair the planet and create a cleaner, healthier Earth.

Next week, the duke is expected to address some of these issues during his meets with leaders in the UAE.

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