Prince William visits Expo 2020 in Dubai
Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, has called in at Expo 2020 to address the first Earthshot Prize Innovation Showcase.
He also met with sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, crown prince of Dubai and chairman of the Dubai Executive Council.
Following the Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton Relay around the Expo 2020 Dubai site, as well as the official national day ceremony in Al Wasl Plaza, prince William spoke at the DP World Pavilion.
During his remarks it was revealed that DP World will be granting £1 million to scale ground-breaking environmental solutions by two Earthshot Prize finalists – Coral Vita and Living Seawalls.
Across the Expo 2020 Dubai site throughout the day, there were numerous showcases of British culture, with a particular focus on musicians from the country.
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As darkness fell, prince William joined dignitaries at Al Wasl Plaza, with Big Ben’s chimes and spectacular projections of British iconography taking over the heart of Expo 2020 Dubai, from London Underground trains to the Clifton Suspension Bridge, alongside eclectic performances from the Band of the Coldstream Guards, Tom Seals and John Newman.
At Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre, the Daju and British Underground concert saw more up-and-coming artists from the UK take to the stage, including music from the likes of multi-genre Minor Seventh Band, jazz, pop and hip-hop fusion artist Giya and rapper HXNTZ.
The evening was crowned with a performance by the 78-member Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, who added classical bombast to a wide variety of British-themed music, from Coldplay and Adele to Queen and the Beatles, at Jubilee Park.
Under the theme ‘Innovating for a Shared Future,’ the UK Pavilion features a continuously changing collective message generated by artificial intelligence and visitor contributions.
It offers an awe-inspiring glimpse into the future, showcasing leading British expertise in sectors, including artificial intelligence, machine learning and space.