JEDDAH, 6 March 2006 — Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall are to visit Saudi Arabia for three days from March 24. The visit is part of a two-week tour by the royal couple that includes Egypt, Saudi Arabia and India. Prince Charles has visited the Kingdom several times, but it will be the first visit for the Duchess of Cornwall.
An announcement from Clarence House on March 2 said that the three countries on the itinerary were important partners of the United Kingdom and “it is hoped that the visits will help to develop further the close relations with these countries.”
The tour officially begins with a visit to Egypt from March 20. They will visit Cairo, as well as an oasis town, before laying a wreath at the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery at El Alamein. The visit will include events to promote British education in Egypt and better understanding between faiths. The royal couple will also attend an exhibition of traditional Islamic art.
While in Saudi Arabia, the couple’s engagements will focus on education and training opportunities for men and women as well as on issues of faith. Prince Charles has consistently demonstrated an open handed approach to Islam and Muslims in the UK.
In December 1997, he said that he believed that Islamic civilization at its best had an important message for the West in the way it had retained an integrated and integral view of the sanctity of the world around us. “I believe that process could help in the task of bringing our two faiths closer together,” he said. “It could also help us in the West to rethink, and for the better, our practical stewardship of man and his environment in fields such as health care, the natural environment and agriculture, as well as in architecture and urban planning.”
After leaving the Kingdom, the prince and the duchess will visit India from March 26. In New Delhi they will attend the British High Commissioner’s annual reception for diplomats, politicians and businessmen. In Punjab and Rajasthan, where the Prince of Wales and the British Indian community have been taking forward a range of charitable initiatives, the chief ministers have invited royal support for plans to help promote sustainable farming, water conservation and employment generation.
This is the royal couple’s second joint overseas tour, following a visit to the United States in November last year. The Prince of Wales last visited Saudi Arabia on Aug. 2, 2005 to convey the condolences of the queen to the Saudi royal family and citizens following the death of King Fahd.
