Visitors to the British pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai receive a striking, unique welcome that mixes symbolism and technology. At the centre of the building is an interactive poem, where visitors enter words into an electronic tablet that are shaped into an ever-changing poem using artificial intelligence. It is a symbol of a country in flux, which is embracing great changes, both politically and economically, without losing sight of its deeper, cultural identity.

Ever the strong partner for the UK, the UAE is a country also combining modernity and culture as it progresses through the 21st century. Relations between both countries, which are constantly modernising, take on this deep cultural aspect, understandable given the UK has been by the Emirates' side since its foundation 50 years ago.

In a sign of deep, old and new relations between both countries, Prince William, who will one day be Britain's monarch, yesterday arrived in the UAE for his first official visit to the country. It is a moment for him to present how he plans to progress bilateral relations. His itinerary gives clues as to the nature of his priorities. A passionate conservationist, like his father Prince Charles, the Duke of Cambridge visited Abu Dhabi’s unique environmental heritage at the Jubail Mangrove Park with Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed, a member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office. There Prince William learned about efforts to protect regional flora and fauna in the million-square-metre area that is home not just to the precious plants, but also unique bird and marine species. Readers interested in this fragile biome would do well to read The National's own Peter Hellyer.