Prince William Plants Trees With Children In Abu Dhabi
Prince William has started his whirlwind single day visit to the United Arab Emirates, his first major overseas trip since 2019, by planting a tree sapling alongside school children from the British School Al-Khubairat.
William’s arrival to Dubai was announced on Instagram on Wednesday night with a photo the prince had taken through his aeroplane window along with a caption.
‘Excited to be arriving in Dubai to celebrate the UK at @DubaiExpo and discuss the vital issue of working together with the UAE and international partners to achieve a more sustainable world with @earthshotprize and United for Wildlife. W.’ read the caption.
William toured Abu Dhabi’s wetlands at the JubailMagrove Park, learning more about the UAE’s efforts to protect regional flora and fauna from environmental challenges.
An official post shared to Cambridge’s Instagram account shares photos of the event along with the caption: ‘First stop the Jubail Mangroves, a nature preserve and a haven for avian and marine species native to Abu Dhabi.
‘The Abu Dhabi Mangrove Initiative will focus on sustainability and preserving the natural environment, providing vital research for supporting biodiversity’ said the future king, ‘These parks also play a role in their communities, especially for the next generation and it’s great to see programmes are in place to inspire young people to become the environmental leaders of tomorrow.’
The Duke also visited the Jebel Ali Port to learn more about regional efforts tackling the illegal wildlife trade. The Royal Foundation’s United for Wildlife, established by William in 2014, has already been working in the region helping efforts to counter the illegal trade which poses a threat to many iconic species.
At the port, Prince William was shown a live demonstration of cargo being unloaded, as well as its journey through customs and the high-end technology assisting to identify trafficked wildlife.
The Prince’s visit corresponds with the 50th anniversary year of the UAE and will coincide with the UK National Day being held at Expo 2020 Dubai, William is expected to join in the celebrations for the National Day.