MANAMA: The Prince of Wales will briefly visit the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain and call on the Royal Families on Friday 21st February 2014, the UK embassy in Bahrain said in a statement on Friday.
The Prince’s visit followed his visit to Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which took place from Monday 17th to Friday 21st February 2014.
“The UK/Bahrain relationship is a warm, close and long-standing one. Our first agreement of friendship dates from 1816, which is why over the next two years, leading up to 2016, we shall be celebrating the bicentenary of bilateral relations. I am delighted His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales is visiting Bahrain. The British Royal Family has a strong and well-established relationship with the Bahraini Royal Family. This visit underlines the strength of the UK’s bilateral ties with Bahrain,” Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Bahrain, Iain Lindsay said.
“In Abu Dhabi, The Prince of Wales will call on His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
During the meeting The Prince of Wales will pass on the best wishes of Her Majesty The Queen to the President of the United Arab Emirates, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who paid a State visit to the United Kingdom in April 2013.
“In Manama, The Prince of Wales will be welcomed by His Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Bahrain. The Prince of Wales will then call on His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
“The visit by The Prince of Wales to the UAE and Bahrain, which is supported by The British Government, will reflect the long-standing relationships between the United Kingdom and both countries as well as the two-hundred year old connections, which exist between the British Royal Family, the Al Nahyan Royal Family in the UAE and the Al Khalifa Royal Family in Bahrain,” the statement said.
“The visit of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales symbolises the longstanding friendship between our Royal Families, and demonstrates partnership at the very highest level. These personal ties act as bedrock in the UK-UAE relationship and allow us to collaborate with confidence on the many issues our people are passionate about, not least critical issues in the region and around the world,” Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Dominic Jermey said.