Prince of Wales briefed on Expo 2020 Dubai’s youth engagement

Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemi, Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director-General of the Dubai Expo 2020 Bureau, today welcomed HRH The Prince of Wales to the Expo 2020 Dubai site.

The Prince of Wales, an advocate of youth empowerment through his Prince’s Trust charity, met with many of Expo’s younger members of staff, and heard about Expo 2020 Dubai’s youth engagement initiatives, including YouthConnect, taking place on 19th November in Dubai, the Expo Apprenticeship programme, one of the first of its kind in the region, and its school and university roadshows.

Speaking on the occasion, Reem Al Hashemi said, "The UK is a valued friend and partner of the UAE, and we warmly welcome His Royal Highness to see the progress we have made towards delivering a truly remarkable World Expo. His visit is particularly meaningful, as our plans to ensure that Expo 2020 Dubai leaves a long lasting and sustainable legacy is inspired by the first World Expo, held in London in 1851 and initiated by his ancestor, Prince Albert."

Al Hashemi went on to say, "We are honoured that His Royal Highness has visited the Expo 2020 Dubai site today and particularly taken interest in our youth-focused initiatives. These initiatives are an important part of the educational and social legacy that Expo 2020 Dubai is already building, in line with the UAE Government’s Youth Empowerment Strategy and the UAE Vision 2021."

She described the YouthConnect initiative, an annual opportunity for young people to come together in one place and build new relationships, develop new skills and discover new areas of interest that will help them unlock their full potential and shape their own future.

HRH The Prince of Wales also learned about the Apprenticeship Programme, a nine-month scheme that aims to enhance youth career development in the UAE and by providing work placement opportunities across Expo 2020 Dubai. The first 27 apprentices started in late August and following initial training, are currently working in a range of departments across Expo 2020 Dubai.

Reem Al Hashemi and HRH Prince Charles discussed the three 'mega-event' subthemes: ‘Opportunity’, ‘Mobility’ and ‘Sustainability’, and the framework they provide for human endeavour.

The UK and the UAE have strong trade and investment links. Around 5,000 UK businesses operate in the UAE and more than 100,000 British nationals live and work in the UAE. The UAE is the UK’s twelfth largest trading partner, with bilateral trade figures reaching AED63bn in 2015. The UAE-UK Business Council has agreed an ambitious target of GBP25 billion of bilateral trade by 2020.

In finance, UK firms represent 15 percent of the regulated financial firms in DIFC. The City of London, the UK’s global financial centre, and Abu Dhabi have established close links and the Lord Mayor of the City of London makes annual visits to the country. Notable UAE investments in the UK include ADIA’s 15 percent stake in Gatwick Airport, Masdar’s 20 percent stake in London Array, the world’s largest offshore wind farm development, and Abu Dhabi United Group for Development and Investment’s ownership of Manchester City Football Club.

Each year, more than a million British tourists visit the UAE and around 50,000 Emiratis visit the UK. There are about 170 direct flights each week between the UAE and the UK, operated by British Airways, Etihad Airways, and Emirates.