Britain's Prince William was set to meet girl footballers and join an e-sports tournament in the Saudi capital Tuesday, even as the scandal over his disgraced uncle Andrew's links to Jeffrey Epstein made headlines back home.
William, an avid environmentalist, will also later to visit the historic city of AlUla, where he will learn about conservation efforts, according to Kensington Palace.
In Riyadh, the British royal's agenda includes a visit to an urban regeneration project, football drills with local girls' youth squads, and then an e-sports tournament.
Amicable ties have long existed between the Saudi and British royal families, and 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 February 2014.
Ahead of William's arrival in Riyadh, Kensington Palace broke years of silence over Andrew's links to the late US convicted sex offender by saying William and his wife Catherine were "deeply concerned by the continuing revelations".
The short statement, which did not directly reference the ex-prince Andrew, was released as the monarchy comes under renewed pressure over accusations stemming from the tarnished royal's ties to Epstein.
In the latest damaging allegations from the Epstein files published by the US Department of Justice, it emerged that Andrew may have passed potentially confidential reports to Epstein while serving as a UK trade envoy, a role he held between 2001 and 2011.
AFP
