Prince William has his first international trip of 2022 all booked. The Duke of Cambridge will visit the United Arab Emirates in February to attend Expo 2020 Dubai during U.K. National Day. The U.A.E. is also marking 50 years of independence from the U.K., and both countries are looking to build stronger ties with each other.
William, 39, will stop in Dubai on Feb. 10, which is the same day the U.K. will take over Expo 2020 Dubai. “The bond between the UK and the UAE is deep and strong and Prince William’s visit will highlight and build upon these links as he has the opportunity to engage with young Emiratis, leaders from government, and committed conservationists,” Kensington Palace said in a statement to Reuters.
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Expo 2020 Dubai is a months-long world expo event that opened on Oct. 1, 2021, and will close on March 31. It was originally scheduled for 2020 but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. On Feb. 10, the U.K. will take center stage to host U.K. National Day and to “deliver an extraordinary celebration of the very best of British culture and creativity, with a celebrity-filled day of dance, music, and performances.” William plans to use his trip to showcase his Eathshot Prize and the United for Wildlife campaign.
William’s trip to the U.A.E. will not come without controversy. The U.K. has begun focusing on trade efforts with Gulf countries after leaving the European Union, but some politicians and activists have accused the government of putting economic deals above human rights concerns. In 2021, a U.K. High Court judge ruled that U.A.E. Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum ordered the hacking of phones belonging to Princess Haya of Jordan and her lawyers. In an earlier case, a judge ruled that Mohammed planned an intimidation campaign against Haya, who feared for her life and was behind the abduction of his own daughters.
William has another international trip lined up for 2022. Later this year, he and Kate Middleton will visit the U.S. again since he plans to host the Earthshot Prize ceremony there. It will be their first trip to the U.S. in seven years, which also makes it their first trip since William’s younger brother Prince Harry moved to California permanently with Meghan Markle.
“This is just the start,” William told PEOPLE in October 2021, after the first Earthshot Prize ceremony in London. “I’m thrilled that in 2022, The Earthshot Prize will be heading to the United States, where we will continue to spread this vital message of urgency, optimism, and action.”
William established the Eathshot Prize in 2020, alongside Sir David Attenborough. Each winner gets a £1 million grant from the Royal Foundation to fund their environmental work. William, Attenborough, and the Earthshot Prize Council select winners in five different categories.
“Seeing the incredible solutions that have been developed by the first winners of the Prize – and all of our finalists – shows us that the answers are out there,” William told PEOPLE. “By recognizing these efforts and supporting and scaling them to be the best they can be, we can inspire the confidence that a healthier, more sustainable future is within our grasp.”
