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The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh have arrived in Abu Dhabi for a five-day state visit to the Gulf.

The monarch is in the region as part of government moves to renew the UK's relationship with the Gulf Arab states.

The Queen last visited the UAE in 1979 when she was a guest of founding father and ex-president of the Emirates, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan.

The Duke of York is also on the royal visit and was already in the UAE to greet his mother on arrival.

Speaking to reporters before the Queen's plane touched down, Prince Andrew praised his nephew Prince William's fiancee Kate Middleton and said next April's royal wedding would be "absolutely fantastic".

The duke said: "I think this is the most wonderful piece of news that the UK has had for a long time.

"I've been away for a couple of days now so I'm not fully up to speed with what's going on but I'm aware that the UK has taken Kate to their heart. I think that's absolutely wonderful news.

"I understand [the wedding is] going to take place over a bank holiday weekend so it's another excuse for a good party."

Long relationship

The Queen was also greeted by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, and several UAE ministers.

Her only engagement of the evening was to pay her respects at the tomb of the UAE's founding father at Abu Dhabi's Grand Mosque, where she was joined by UK Foreign Secretary William Hague and his wife Ffion.

The royal party spent several minutes talking to children who had been learning the Koran.

"This visit by the head of the Church of England to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is reflective of the multi-faith dialogue and tolerance that is common to both the UAE and UK," the British Embassy said.

The UAE is a collection of seven emirates that united in 1971 after gaining full independence from the UK.

The Duke of York said: "I think you have to look back to the fact this is a long-standing relationship between the UAE and the United Kingdom which reaches back over 40 years when the UAE was a protectorate.

"A lot of work has gone on in the intervening period. Since the new [UK] government came in there's been an increased level of concern for this particular region in terms of investment, in terms of business opportunities.

"This has been reciprocated by the UAE and other countries in the region."

The Queen's trip includes a two-day state visit to neighbouring Oman.