Prince William tours nature reserve on final day of Saudi visit

RIYADH - Britain's Prince William was set to wrap up his final day of his Saudi trip on Wednesday with a tour of the oasis city of AlUla, where he will visit a nature reserve and see conservation projects.

The prince, an environmentalist, will meet with rangers working to conserve the area's wildlife population, see land restoration programmes and meet local formers working on sustainable agriculture projects.

AlUla is home to the Hegra archaeological site, a UNESCO World Heritage site famed for its ancient Nabataean tombs dotted amid the pristine sandstone mountains and valleys.

Saudi authorities have been pushing in recent years to make AlUla a top-tier destination for luxury travellers and art exhibitions.

More broadly, they want to turn Saudi Arabia into a tourism hub as part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 reform agenda.

Warm ties have long existed between the Saudi and British royals, while Saudi Arabia is seen as one of Britain's most important partners in the Gulf.

The late Queen Elizabeth II hosted Saudi royals during four state visits, on a par with other key allies such as France and Germany.

The last senior royal to make an official visit to Riyadh was William's father, King Charles III, when he was Prince of Wales in 2014.

The trip to the kingdom comes as the British royal family has come under renewed pressure over ex-prince Andrew's links to the late US convicted sex offender Epstein
Ahead of William's arrival in Riyadh, Kensington Palace said William and his wife Catherine were "deeply concerned by the continuing revelations", though the short statement not directly reference the disgraced prince.