Live updates: follow the latest news on Prince William's visit to the UAE
Fifty years ago Jebel Ali was a small town far removed from the bright lights of old Dubai and the Creek.
But Dubai's Ruler at the time, Sheikh Rashid, had other plans.
His decision to build a port about 40 kilometres from the centre of town astounded some.
It was even thought that the new facility would take business away from the still developing Port Rashid.
The scale of the task was immense: dredgers reclaimed land; roads were built; and even a small town – Jebel Ali Village – was constructed to accommodate the workers.
It was opened in 1979 by Queen Elizabeth II on her landmark trip to the Middle East.
Today, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, retraces her steps with a visit.
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Prince William plants mangrove seedlings with pupils. Victor Besa / The National -
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, visit the UAE pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. After the tour, they were due to hold a private bilateral meeting. Getty -
Prince William visits the UK Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Victor Besa / The National -
Visitors outside the UK Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Victor Besa / The National -
Prince William greets Expo visitors outside the UK Pavilion. Victor Besa / The National -
The UK Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Victor Besa / The National -
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, right, and Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth, accompany Prince William on the tour. Getty -
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, right, and Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth, accompany Prince William on the tour. Getty -
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed and Prince William chat inside the UAE pavilion. Getty -
Prince William watches a display inside the UAE Pavilion, accompanied by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed and Noura Al Kaabi. Getty -
The Duke of Cambridge signs the pavilion guestbook. Getty -
Prince William speaking in the DP World Pavilion, EXPO 2020 Dubai. Victor Besa / The National -
Prince William speaking in the DP World Pavilion, EXPO 2020 Dubai. Victor Besa / The National -
Prince William speaking in the DP World Pavilion, EXPO 2020 Dubai. Victor Besa / The National -
Prince William speaking in the DP World Pavilion, EXPO 2020 Dubai. Victor Besa / The National -
Prince William, centre, visits Jebel Ali Port in Dubai. AFP -
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, chairman and chief executive of DP World, speaks to the prince about work to tackle the illegal wildlife trade. Getty -
The duke’s visit to the port is part of a busy tour of the UAE. Getty -
Prince William's visit will build on the strong bond between the UK and the UAE. Getty -
The duke travelled from Abu Dhabi to Dubai to visit one of the world’s busiest ports. John Dennehy / The National -
Prince William sees how goods are monitored in and out of the port. John Dennehy / The National -
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, member of Abu Dhabi Executive Council and chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office, visits Jubail Mangrove Park with the prince. Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office -
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed and Prince William at the mangrove park in Abu Dhabi. Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office -
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed with Prince William. Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office -
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed with Prince William and pupils at Jubail Mangrove Park. Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office -
The prince and companies in the UAE are working together to protect flora and fauna. Victor Besa / The National -
Children tend to seedlings after meeting Prince William. Victor Besa / The National -
The seedlings were planted at Jubail Mangrove Park in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National -
Lilly-Rose Mayall and Amaan Haider of the British School Al Khubairat plant mangrove seedlings. Victor Besa / The National -
The view from Prince William's plane as he arrives in Dubai. Photo: Kensington Royal -
Prince William during a visit to Edinburgh, Scotland, last year. The Duke of Cambridge is visiting the UAE for his first official trip to the Emirates. Getty -
Pupils at Victory Heights Primary school thought of some burning questions for Prince William before his visit to Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National -
Prince William visited Expo 2020 Dubai. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai
DP World, along with Emirates and Etihad, is a major contributor to the duke's United for Wildlife campaign to tackle a global criminal animal trafficking trade worth $150 billion.
Jebel Ali Port itself has become the busiest in the Middle East and one of the biggest in the world. It is the largest manmade deep-water harbour in the world. Jebel Ali has weathered regional instability and economic uncertainty and proved those early critics wrong.
Jebel Ali's four terminals can accommodate the world's largest ships and is a conduit for cargo travelling to Asia, Africa and Europe. It is the engine of Dubai.
The statistics speak for themselves: the cargo terminal area encompasses 1.4 million square metres with dozens of berths and automated cranes.
And terminal one – one of the port's busiest and the foundation on which it built its success – has 15 berths and 51 quay cranes.
The Jebel Ali Free Zone that was established beside the port has also taken Dubai to new economic highs.
More than 8,000 companies from more than 100 countries are based there, according to the free zone. It sustains about 135,000 jobs and attracts about 23 per cent of Dubai’s foreign direct investment.
Not only has the port helped to build Dubai's economy, it has also assisted in growing the city right to the border with Abu Dhabi.
The once remote Jebel Ali and the new Dubai South neighbourhood have become the future of Dubai. It is home to Al Maktoum Airport, the Expo 2020 site, new hotels and residential areas.
The port is a vital part of the logistical effort to make Expo 2020 a reality.
And Dubai is still looking to the future. The UAE's new railway – Etihad Rail – will link up to the port and further cement the reputation of Jebel Ali as one of the most connected, efficient and modern ports in the world.
