Queen Elizabeth II to return to the UAE

Queen Elizabeth II to return to the UAE

First state visit in 31 years planned for autumn.

July 7, 2010 2:24 by Samuel Potter

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II will make a state visit to the UAE in the autumn, reports the National.

It will be the monarch’s first visit to the country in 31 years, says the paper. The trip was announced by Buckingham Palace in a statement on Tuesday after Queen Elizabeth accepted an invitation from President of the UAE Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed.

According to the report, the dates and details of her visit are being kept secret for security reasons, but the Queen and her husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, are thought to arriving sometime after Ramadan.

From the UAE she will fly to Oman, where she will join celebrations to mark the 40th year of Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s rule, says the National.

“The UK and the UAE have a long history together and strong ties,’ said Dominic Jermey, the new British ambassador to the UAE. “This visit demonstrates our commitment to maintain and strengthen those ties at the highest level. I am sure the visit will generate a great deal of excitement in the UAE.”

It’s the Queen’s second visit to the UAE. In 1979 she met Sheikh Zayed in Abu Dhabi before spending two days in Dubai.