Dubai,
10
February
2022
|
15:09
Europe/Amsterdam

Prince William hears how United for Wildlife partners are supporting efforts to counter illegal wildlife trade on visit to Dubai

Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World

As a leading global logistics business, we recognise the important need to address the rising concerns posed by the illegal wildlife trade, which not only impacts biodiversity but has ramifications for our planet and local communities. We are taking extensive measures to tackle the issues, including collaborating with United for Wildlife and technology companies to develop processes to improve the detection of illegal wildlife cargo. 

Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World
Summary

•  Prince William visits DP World’s Jebel Ali Port on first official visit to see demonstration of work to counter the illegal wildlife trade

 • Dubai Airports, owner of the world’s busiest international airport Dubai International DXB, joins the United for Wildlife Transport Taskforce 

• Middle East and North Africa Chapter of United for Wildlife launches in the region

Prince William, the founder of The Royal Foundation’s United for Wildlife, marked his trip to Dubai with a visit to Jebel Ali Port, hearing how partners in the region are working to end the illegal wildlife trade and seeing a demonstration of their work. 

The illegal wildlife trade is among the five most lucrative global crimes and is often run by highly organised criminal networks. Prince William founded United for Wildlife with The Royal Foundation to raise awareness of this serious organised crime and bring motivated leaders from business, law enforcement and charities together to bring about a more significant response than conservations alone. 

Jebel Ali Port is owned by DP World, the Principal Partner of United for Wildlife. They have been instrumental in recognising this vision and raising awareness of action on this issue. DP World is headquartered in Dubai and handles around 10% of global container traffic across its ports and terminals worldwide. 

During his visit to Jebel Ali, Prince William was given a port tour to see the scale of operations at the Middle East’s largest port. His Royal Highness was then shown a live demonstration of cargo being unloaded from ships, the journey through customs, learning about how cutting-edge new technology can be deployed to identify trafficked wildlife items, and support enforcement investigations. 

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO, DP World, said: “As a leading global logistics business, we recognise the important need to address the rising concerns posed by the illegal wildlife trade, which not only impacts biodiversity but has ramifications for our planet and local communities. We are taking extensive measures to tackle the issues, including collaborating with United for Wildlife and technology companies to develop processes to improve the detection of illegal wildlife cargo. 

"We are deeply honoured by Prince William’s visit and his unwavering support to this cause and hope that organisations, governments, transport companies and influencers mobilise to raise awareness of the devastation such trade causes around the world.” 

United for Wildlife is building a global network of transport and finance experts, united in a shared aim to stop criminals from exploiting their networks and end the illegal wildlife trade. Ahead of Prince Williams’s visit, Dubai Airports, operator of the world’s busiest international airport Dubai International DXB, has announced it will become a signatory of The Buckingham Palace Declaration, becoming the latest member of United for Wildlife’s Transport Taskforce and further strengthening awareness of this crime in the region. 

United for Wildlife has launched a Middle East and North Africa Chapter to recognise this building momentum. New signatories from the financial services sector join this growing network further to enhance the regional response to the illegal wildlife trade. 

At their Dubai Expo 2020 pavilion, DP World brought together leading figures from across transport, finance, law enforcement and NGOs, including support by Her Excellency Mariam Al Muheiri – UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, who delivered a keynote speech. 

The Regional Chapter will work with UfW’s international finance and transport taskforces to share information and resources, strengthen existing partnerships and better respond to support local priorities. It is the fifth regional chapter to launch, following East Africa, Southern Africa, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia and Australasia.

Notes to Editors

The Royal Foundation:

The Royal Foundation mobilises leaders, businesses and people so that together we can address society’s greatest challenges. Led by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, our work is built on world-class research, long-term partnerships and measurable, scalable impact.

United for Wildlife:

United for Wildlife was founded by Prince William and The Royal Foundation in 2014. It aims to make it impossible for traffickers to transport, finance or profit from illegal wildlife products. By working collaboratively with the transport and finance sectors, building key partnerships with law enforcement and NGOs, and sharing information and best practices across the sectors, and across borders, United for Wildlife is disrupting this criminal network globally. 

 DP World:

DP World is a leading provider of worldwide smart end-to-end supply chain logistics, enabling trade flow across the globe. The Group has an interconnected global network of 190 business units in 69 countries across six continents, with a significant presence in high-growth and mature markets. The company has more than 71,255 employees from 150 nationalities committed to delivering unrivalled value to customers and partners.