Prince William lands in Kuwait ahead of a four-day Gulf tour

The UK's Prince William landed in Kuwait on Sunday, coinciding with the 120th anniversary of the signing of a friendship treaty between the two countries.

The prince will also visit Oman as part of a four-day tour of the region, aiming to focus on military relationships, education, and the environment.

The Duke of Cambridge "will take in both countries' unique cultures, their beautiful landscapes and diverse communities", Kensington Palace said. 

His visit will comprise of trips to the capital cities, Kuwait City and Muscat, as well as exploring both nations' natural landscapes such as deserts and wadis to learn about regional environmental policies.

Kensington Palace tweeted pictures of the Prince at a beach clean-up at the Jahra Nature Reserve in Kuwait. 

"Kuwait is working to tackle the global issue of plastic pollution through a combination of raising public awareness, recycling, education and organising beach cleans," said the Kensington Palace official Twitter account. 

William will join Kuwaiti and British troops in a military exercise, before heading to Musandam to observe Omani monitoring activities in the Strait of Hormuz.

The strait came under the spotlight after Iran seized a British-flagged tanker in the waters last July.

The Stena Impero was impounded at the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas for allegedly breaking "international maritime rules", although it was widely believed to be in retaliation for Gibraltar authorities seizing an Iranian tanker.

The prince will also visit organisations who bolster entrepreneurship and education for young people.

The Treaty of Friendship between the UK and Kuwait was originally signed on 23 January 1899 and is being celebrated by the arrival of the prince, who will be attending local celebrations.

Prince Charles also visited the region with his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. The couple carried out visits to Kuwait in 2015 and Oman in 2016 followed by the UAE, and Bahrain.

The tour of the region comes as his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, takes a step back from foreign travel, which will require William to take on more diplomatic responsibilities.