UAE to promote "historical relations" with UK: UAE's VP

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) vice president, prime minister and ruler of Dubai, met here on Tuesday with Britain's Prince Charles, stressing the need to promote the historical relations between the UAE and the United Kingdom, UAE state news agency WAM reported.

Until the UAE gained independence from the UK in 1917, the seven sheikhdoms comprising the Gulf Arab state were "crucial states" of the British Crown as the UK protected the Arabs from pirates and foreign invaders and in exchange, British troops were given access to UAE harbors in Gulf coast and the Indian Ocean coast.

Sheikh Mohammed and Prince Charles exchanged views on a number of topics related to the promotion of cultural, tourism and sports ties between the two countries as the "best way" to establish rapprochement among peoples, said the WAM report.

Prince Charles expressed his satisfaction at visiting the UAE and meeting with its leaders and a large segment of the UAE society leaders, especially the youth, to know their opinions, ideas and dreams with respect to future and humanitarian relations with countries and peoples of the world.

Since the Brexit vote in June this year, the UK aims to strengthen ties with countries it enjoys traditional strong ties with.