Prince Charles and Wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall visit the Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi.
Abu Dhabi - During their tour of the Shaikh Zayed mosque, the Prince and Duchess signed the visitor's book and briefly mingled with community members, who looked eager to chat with the royal couple.
Published: Sun 6 Nov 2016, 7:00 PM
Last updated: Mon 7 Nov 2016, 6:08 PM
Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall touched down in the UAE's Capital on Sunday, as part of their Middle East tour.
The British royals took a tour of the Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque and greeted leaders of different faiths.
The Prince of Wales, who is also the heir apparent of Queen Elizabeth II, along with his wife Camilla, are focusing on supporting religious tolerance, women empowerment, military cooperation, wildlife conservation, culture and heritage, as well as encouraging opportunities for youth.
The couple was welcomed by Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Shaikha Lubna Al Qasimi, Minister of State for International Cooperation and Minister of Economic and Planning; Abdul Rahman bin Mohammed Al Owais, Minister of Health; and other senior officials.
During their tour of the Shaikh Zayed mosque, the Prince and Duchess signed the visitor's book and briefly mingled with community members, who looked eager to chat with the royal couple.
Dressed in royal blue, Camilla waved at visitors at the end of their tour, while Prince Charles spoke to Shaikh Abdullah.
Prior to the royals' arrival at the mosque, Edwin Samuel, United Kingdom Government Regional Arabic Spokesperson from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, told Khaleej Times why the royals' visit was critical, highlighting that religious tolerance is key.
"The relationship between the UK and the UAE is clearly a strong one. There are over 100,000 British expats in the UAE, living and working alongside Emiratis and expats from other nationalities, as well as people with different faiths.
"For Britain, this is crucial, as it sets a positive and prime example of how the UAE welcomes and accepts all faiths.
"Prince Charles' visit to Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque today is therefore meant to represent this key point of religious tolerance between all faiths," he added.
Schedule
Monday
Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall will be taking a look at endangered species during their visit to Bu Tinah Island on Monday morning.
Prince Charles will also take a tour of Masdar City, where he will speak to young leaders about empowerment, under the theme of 'accounting for sustainability.'
The Duchess will visit the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital, prior to joining a women's empowerment lunch at the Anantara Hotel, as well as visiting the Imperial College London Diabetes.
Prince Charles and Camilla will then head to Al Jahili Fort in Al Ain on Monday, where they will take part in the UK and the UAE 'Year of Culture Celebration.'
Tuesday
The royal couple will be in Dubai, where they will visit the International Humanitarian City.
The Duchess will visit Al Jalila Children's Specialty Hospital, prior to the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children.
Prince Charles will arrive at Expo2020 during the afternoon, prior to visiting the ICCROM-ATHAR Regional Conservation Centre in Sharjah.
Prince Charles will depart the UAE to Bahrain, along with his wife, as part of promoting UK's partnership in the region.
jasmine@khaleejtimes.com
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