Expo 2020 Dubai: Pageantry and flair as UK celebrates National Day with Prince William

Visitors were treated to an evening of music and cultural performances during the celebrations.

The United Kingdom celebrated its National Day at Expo 2020 Dubai on Thursday with a splash of pomp as the ceremony featured a visit by Britain's Prince William.

Visitors also witnessed cultural performances by the Band of the Coldstream Guards and a site-wide journey of the Commonwealth Games Queen’s Relay Baton.

Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, UAE Cabinet Member and Minister of Culture and Youth welcomed Nadine Dorries, British Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the UK delegation, including Mike Freer, Minister for Exports and Minister for Equalities, and Laura Faulkner OBE, UK Commissioner General and Project Director at Expo 2020 Dubai.

“The United Kingdom's pavilion theme of ‘Innovating for a Shared Future’ demonstrates the country's pivotal role in leading innovation efforts globally,” Al Kaabi said.

“Key breakthroughs in the future of science and technology, as well as its advances and contribution to space, artificial intelligence, energy, and more are essential to the development of our shared humanity,” she added.

Meanwhile, Dorries added, “The UK and UAE share a deep and historic bond. We’re committed to tackling global issues together, and we’ve strengthened that relationship through our new and ambitious ‘Partnership for the Future’ – which, alongside our expanded UAE-UK Sovereign Investment Partnership, we’ll use to create new trade, and collaborate on a number of areas including life sciences, education, climate and security.”

“We’re the home of Shakespeare…, [Harry] Potter and [James] Bond; Adele and Ed Sheeran; Isaac Newton and Stephen Hawking; the birthplace of the man who invented the world wide web – changing life as we know it; and the country where the greatest game on earth, football, was invented. It’s hard to condense thousands of years of literature and innovation, science and creativity into one single space – and so I’d recommend that people come and see it with their own eyes with a visit to the UK.”

Following the speeches at Al Wasl Plaza, the Band of the Coldstream Guards delivered an eye-catching performance in their red jackets and bearskin hats.

Earlier, 40 children from the Dubai British School participated in activities involving the Rugby League World Cup at the Sports, Fitness and Wellbeing Hub and visited the Surreal water feature.