HRH Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, was today given a tour of Masdar City, where he took part in a Youth Circle organised by the Emirates Youth Council. The visit was part of his three-country tour of the region, including Oman and Bahrain, which builds on the longstanding relationship between the UAE and the UK.

The Youth Circle, hosted outside the Masdar Institute Knowledge Centre, brought together young and talented professionals and students to share their hopes, ideas and concerns. On the topic of "Engaging and Empowering Youth for a Sustainable Future," the event provided a platform for youth-centric discussions on some of the most important challenges and opportunities facing the world today.

Youth Circles were established in line with the directives of the UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to inspire sustainable youth-centric dialogue across sectors. Youth Circles are a platform to enable youth to express their opinions on societal challenges and policy matters, and to catalyse community impact and youth leadership.

Prior to the Youth Circle, Prince Charles toured Masdar City and Masdar Institute. The tour was led by Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State and Chairman of Masdar, Shamma Sohail Al Mazrui, UAE Minister of State for Youth Affairs, Mohamed Al Ramahi, Masdar CEO, Dr. Behjat Al Yousuf, Interim Provost of the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, and the Masdar leadership team.

As part of the visit, The Prince of Wales was given an insight into Masdar’s growing portfolio of clean energy projects across the globe, including those in the UK: the London Array, the largest offshore wind farm in the world, and the Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm, which is set for production in the first quarter of 2017. He also met with researchers from four Masdar Institute projects, highlighting the Institute’s leadership in sustainable technology research.

Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber said, "The visit of HRH the Prince of Wales reinforces the strong bilateral ties between the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. Prince Charles is a strong advocate for sustainable development and shares the same commitment as Masdar to advancing the adoption of clean energy globally. Masdar and HRH The Prince of Wales are united in the belief that the most effective sustainable solutions will come from collaboration and partnerships between the private and public sectors."

Shamma Sohail Al Mazrui said, "It was an honour to have HRH Prince Charles championing an important priority for both the UAE and UK, namely youth and sustainability. Through engaging youth-led initiatives such as Youth Circles, the UAE is providing a valuable platform for youth to lead the global dialogue on sustainability, while in turn developing knowledge and human potential."

She added, "Youth are the ones who are inheriting tomorrow’s world, so it is imperative to integrate them into the global conversation on sustainability through platforms such as Youth Circles. Our generation will bring a young, fresh and creative perspective to problem-solving for a sustainable future."

Dr. Al Yousuf said, "The Masdar Institute is honoured to host HRH Prince Charles, who has been a champion for environmentalism for over 40 years. His visit, which adds to our growing list of visits from leading international royalty, shows the shared value of sustainability. Earth is our collective responsibility, which is why Masdar Institute strives to collaborate across borders with international partners to develop solutions and innovations to real-world sustainability challenges. Today’s Youth Circle event is also aligned with Masdar Institute’s focus on developing our young people into high-value human capital who will help lead the country’s knowledge economy transformation."

The Prince of Wales has had a long relationship with Masdar and the Masdar Institute. In 2008, he gave a keynote address at the inaugural World Future Energy Summit, a conference held during the Masdar-hosted Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.