Prince Charles starts Middle East tour

Britain’s Prince Charles is to tour the Middle East today (02.17.14).

The 65-year-old royal will fly to Saudi Arabia and Qatar as part of a four-day visit, which comes just under a year since he last took a trip to the two nations.

The tour is filled with a majority of private engagements, but there will be some public events included, such as a tour of an old Saudi Arabian city and a visit to a leading museum in Doha, Qatar.

The Prince will be welcomed into the capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, by the chairman of the National Guard, Prince Miteb bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud.

Sir John Jenkins, the UK’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, said: ”Our two kingdoms share a long friendship, going back to the foundation of the modern Saudi state. Continuity of personal relationships, essential if we are to understand each other better, have been central to this.”

The royal family share a strong bond with many of the Middle Eastern countries that are ruled by the Arab royalty.

Nick Hopton, the UK’s ambassador to Qatar, said: ”I am delighted that His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales is to visit Qatar again. This is an opportunity to showcase the strong ties between the UK and Qatar, which we value greatly.”