As it happened: Prince William's visit to the UAE
As Elton John’s Rocket Man boomed out across Al Wasl Plaza on Thursday, Prince William’s first official visit to the UAE came to a soaring close.
It was the UK’s “national day” at Expo 2020 Dubai, where all things British were celebrated.
But the people were only interested in one thing – the Duke of Cambridge.
His first official visit to the UAE was marked by a series of high-level engagements. The duke met Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, and toured the Abu Dhabi mangroves. Earlier, he visited Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port to see how it tackles the illegal wildlife trade.
But the Expo 2020 leg of the historic visit brought the trip to life. It was here where he embarked on an impromptu walkabout, shook hands and met families who had been queuing for hours.
“I’ve been a fan of his mother when I was very little, so I’ve been following him all my life,” said Hania Kazmi from Pakistan, who has lived in the UAE for six years and was waiting outside the UK Pavilion. “We were born in the same year,” she said with a chuckle.
“I’ve followed him since I was young through social media and all these things,” said Ms Kazmi. “Maybe he is going to be a king, and he is a celebrity.”
People began to gather outside the pavilion several hours before Prince William was due to visit at 7pm. Children waved Union Jacks and groups of people spontaneously broke into God Save the Queen as the British royal took over the Expo 2020 site for the day.
Prince William arrived at pavilion with the British ambassador to the UAE, Patrick Moody, and met UK ministers such as Nadine Dorries. But then the formalities were over.
As he walked outside, chants of “William, William, William” inspired a meet and greet where he shook hands and spoke to his fans who had waited hours in the afternoon winter sun.
Standing beside Ms Kazmi was Tinus Deysel. “It is exciting to know he is right here,” he said.
“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.”
The Clarke family of four were visiting Expo 2020 while on holiday here from Portsmouth in England.
“We were visiting Expo and were quite keen to see Prince William while he is here,” they said. “As a royalist, it is really important to support him.”
After the meet and greet, Prince William met representatives of British businesses before heading to Al Wasl Dome, where the UK pavilion showcased talent from across Britain.
The band of the Coldstream Guards, one of the oldest British regiments, marched under the dome, in a musical extravaganza that also featured the music of Tom Seals and John Newman
“As our future king, it is a great opportunity [to see him],” the Clarke family said.
“There is a huge expat population here and tourism links between UK and Dubai. Maintaining and building on that is fundamental four our relationship to continue. I think it is fantastic he is here. It is great for the British population here as well.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULT
Manchester United 1 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Man United: Dunk (66' og)
Man of the Match: Shane Duffy (Brighton)
Brief scores:
Everton 0
Leicester City 1
Vardy 58'
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
1971: The Year The Music Changed Everything
Director: Asif Kapadia
4/5
England Test squad
Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Sam Curran, Keaton Jennings, Dawid Malan, Jamie Porter, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes.
Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn
Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design
If you go
Flight connections to Ulaanbaatar are available through a variety of hubs, including Seoul and Beijing, with airlines including Mongolian Airlines and Korean Air. While some nationalities, such as Americans, don’t need a tourist visa for Mongolia, others, including UAE citizens, can obtain a visa on arrival, while others including UK citizens, need to obtain a visa in advance. Contact the Mongolian Embassy in the UAE for more information.
Nomadic Road offers expedition-style trips to Mongolia in January and August, and other destinations during most other months. Its nine-day August 2020 Mongolia trip will cost from $5,250 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, two nights’ hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, vehicle rental, fuel, third party vehicle liability insurance, the services of a guide and support team, accommodation, food and entrance fees; nomadicroad.com
A fully guided three-day, two-night itinerary at Three Camel Lodge costs from $2,420 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, accommodation, meals and excursions including the Yol Valley and Flaming Cliffs. A return internal flight from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad costs $300 per person and the flight takes 90 minutes each way; threecamellodge.com
Abu Dhabi racecard
5pm: Maiden (Purebred Arabians); Dh80,000; 1,400m.
5.30pm: Maiden (PA); Dh80,00; 1,400m.
6pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (PA); Group 3; Dh500,000; 1,600m.
6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (Thoroughbred); Listed; Dh380,000; 1,600m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup for Private Owners Handicap (PA); Dh70,000; 1,400m.
7.30pm: Handicap (PA); Dh80,000; 1,600m
