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TRH spend a day in Dubai

28th February 2007

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall stepped back in time today when they found themselves in a magical Arabian camp during their last day in the Gulf.

Their Royal Highnesses were transported into the ancient world of the Arab desert complete with campside fire, traditional weavers and a falconer with his bird of prey, when they visited a historic part of Dubai.

The Prince and the Duchess came across the campfire scene during a visit to Bastakia, a heritage site where the homes of Persian merchants were built in the 1890s.

The area was saved after The Prince of Wales made a suggestion, a number of years ago, to the Dubai authorities that the area should not be redeveloped but restored.

When he arrived, Rashad Bukhash, Chairman of the UAE Historical Society, thanked The Prince for his efforts saying: "If it wasn't for you this would not be here now."

The historic Bastakia Quarter is Dubai’s best heritage site.  Built in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries by Persian merchants, it takes it name from the town of Bastak in southern Iran.

The Prince and The Duchess strolled through narrow streets lined by the high walls of the terracotta-coloured houses.

Restoration work on the homes, which feature a central courtyard around which rooms have been set, started in 1996 and the buildings have many traditional architectural features including distinctive wind towers, pillars and wooden and gypsum decorations.

In one small courtyard The Prince and The Duchess saw wood and gypsum carvers at work and watched in fascination as a carpenter chipped away at a door panel while a stone carver cut semi-circle decorations into a 12in square slab of gypsum.

The Prince walked closer to the carver and said to his guide, Mr Bukhash: "He makes it look so easy."

Their Royal Highnesses were taken to another home which had a larger courtyard with an ornate series of arches behind which were set a number of interconnecting rooms.

They walked through the home, stopping to look at its simple but beautifully designed interior, before they were taken to the Arabian campsite.

They were greeted by two men in traditional Arab clothing, sitting by a fire. One sang as he cooked on an open stove while the other prepared Arabian coffee for the visitors.

The Duchess bent down to greet a woman wearing a highly decorative face mask, a sign that she was married, who was weaving as she sat cross-legged on the ground.

The Duchess also watched as another woman embroidered a piece of cloth with coloured threads, deftly moving her needle through the fabric.

Their Royal Highnesses then left to attend separate events in Dubai, with The Duchess travelling to a centre for children with special needs while The Prince went to Dubai Healthcare City.

The Duchess was invited to a fashion show when she joined children from the Al Noor Training Centre for Children with Special Needs.

The youngsters strutted down the catwalk in clothes which literally took their inspiration from the names of garments.

One girl wore a pair of "hot pants" - trousers covered with pictures of flames - while one boy was dressed in a "waste not, want not" suit which had pieces of rubbish tied to it.

The Duchess sat in a marquee with the centre's patron, Princess Haya, the second wife of Dubai's ruler, Sheik Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and clapped as each model went by.

The youngsters then made a quick change into colourful costumes and performed an Indian folk dance for the audience.

Later, The Duchess toured classrooms at the centre and sat opposite one girl who was learning how to count money. When the youngster burst into laughter and was unable to stop, The Duchess told her: "You've got the giggles."

When she joined six-year-old Ibrahim Shezada, who was putting pieces into a puzzle, the young boy stuck his tongue out at her, which made The Duchess laugh.

She then travelled on to the Dubai English Speaking College, a not-for-profit British secondary school, which is linked to the Emirate's oldest British primary school.

The Duchess was greeted by a long line of pupils when she arrived and said hello to a number of them. When she turned the corner and saw there were more young people to meet, she joked: "Oh, this is a never-ending line."

She sympathised with one girl who had her arm in a sling and asked her what had happened to it.
When the youngster replied that she had broken her collarbone, The Duchess said: "I've broken my collarbone too, twice. It hurts for a bit but the good thing is it doesn't take a long time to mend."

After viewing a games lesson at the College’s sports field, The Duchess went inside the school building where a domestic science class were making scones and cream, which she tasted and described as "delicious".

She also made a brief visit to a chemistry lab and unveiled a commemorative plaque before leaving.

While The Duchess met schoolchildren at the Dubai English Speaking College, The Prince visited the Dubai Healthcare City.

He was shown a model of future developments for the project which the authorities hope will transform it into an internationally recognised centre for top-class medical treatment, education and research.

The Prince was shown the Moorfields Eye Hospital which is due to open in May.

The satellite centre of the famous eye hospital in London is planned as a private practice which will provide eye operations and consultancy services.

The Prince watched a video-link from Dubai to London and chatted to three doctors who told him about their analysis of an eye scan they had been examining.

Following the visit, The Prince travelled to another part of Dubai where he commissioned The Angel - a vessel which will travel up and down Dubai Creek providing support to sailors from cargo vessels who dock along the waterway.

Many transport ships stop at Dubai and their sailors, many of whom are from Third World countries, cannot afford to use expensive facilities in the city. Staff from the new vessel hand out parcels and other welfare help to them.

The project has been led by the Anglican community in Dubai and The Prince was shown around by the Reverend Stephen Miller.

The team behind the project have raised more than 1 million US dollars (£509,000) to fund it and the boat will provide seafarers visiting the UAE's eastern shore with telephone and internet facilities, a clinic with paramedics, and a library.

During the day The Prince was received by the ruler of Dubai His Highness General Sheikh MOhammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister.

Their Royal Highnesses attended a reception at the British Embassy to meet leading members of the British Community, senior Emiratis and Embassy staff before leaving the Gulf. 

They are to visit the Welsh Guards in Bosnia on tomorrow (Thursday 1st March, St David Day).

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