The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are set to go on their first royal tour for two years, with a visit to Jordan and Egypt next month.
The royals will visit holy sites, participate interfaith events that will promote tolerance between different religions.
They will also meet with Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed el Tayyeb to discuss the importance of religious harmony and the role of faith in preserving the environment, according to a statement by the British Embassy on Monday.
The tour, which comes at the request of the British Government, will be in the wake of the UN climate change summit, COP26, in Glasgow – and environmental projects will be highlighted, as Egypt has been nominated for the next summit presidency, with COP27 next year.
It will highlight Egypt’s close relationship with the UK, and will provide an opportunity to demonstrate Egypt’s growing commitment to protecting the environment.
The visit will also highlight cultural heritage preservation and religious tolerance across Egyptian society.
Upon their arrival, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall will meet with President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and First Lady Entissar Amer at Al-Ittihadiya Palace, to be formally welcomed to Egypt, before their meeting with the grand imam of Al-Azhar.
This will serve to further strengthen religious ties between the UK and Egypt.
The Prince of Wales will also meet with craftspeople and conservationists, celebrating traditional crafts and UK support for preserving cultural heritage, as well as the skills of artisans.
He will also support his Sustainable Markets Initiative through bringing together young entrepreneurs with major companies from the private sector, to discuss the opportunities for growing green, innovative business in Egypt.
Meanwhile, the Duchess will focus on supporting women’s empowerment, through learning more about the stories of women leaders in Egypt and their efforts to promote conservation.
She will also learn more about how female heads of households are coming up with innovative ways of supporting themselves and their families.
Moreover, the royals will together attend a UK-Egypt reception to celebrate the bond between the two countries, to be held overlooking the Pyramids at the magnificent Giza Plateau.
On the final day of the tour, they will visit the ancient city of Alexandria.
This program will allow them the opportunity to celebrate Egypt’s ancient culture and spiritual significance, while also looking ahead to a modern Egypt, embracing a greener future.
The royals will start their Middle East trip by a visit to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in the year that marks both Jordan’s own centenary and 100 years of the UK-Jordan bilateral relationship, the embassy said.
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