Prince Charles joins in with traditional sword dancing in Oman with Camilla

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Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall are in Oman for an official tour of the Middle East
The tour is at the request of British government and the pair will undertake 50 engagements in seven days
Charles and Camilla were welcomed with a traditional Omani dance before the Prince was shown how to wield a sword used in the cultural display
Camilla spent the day at a Women in Business event where she met successful perfume and cake makers
Charles has been on a walking tour of one of the villages and to the Ras Al Shajar sanctuary east of Muscat

Published: 04:58 EST, 5 November 2016 | Updated: 15:30 EST, 5 November 2016

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Prince Charles brandished a sword and took part in a traditional dance on Saturday on his trip to Oman with his wife Camilla, the first full day of the couple's three-nation royal tour of the Gulf.

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall arrived in the Middle East on Friday on an official tour on behalf of the British Government, to promote the UK's partnership in the region.

Prince Charles and Camilla will undertake 50 engagements in seven days during their visits to the Sultanate of Oman, the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bahrain.

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Charles wielded the sword used in folkloric dancing in Oman as he and Camilla attended one of their first engagements. The Prince made a rather animated facial expression when presented with the gift after the dance

Careful Your Highness: Charles is given an expert lesson on sword dancing by a group of Omani dancers who demonstrated the country's folkloric dance

Left: Charles laughs as Camilla watches her husband get to grips with the ancient art. Right: The pair have a chinwag in the after Charles puts down the sword

During the trip, the couple will take on separate engagements, with Charles travelling to the Ras Al Shajar nature reserve to view wild animals, birds and other creatures

While her husband is at the reserve, Camilla will be attending a dinner to recognise successful Omani women in business and the public sector. Above, Charles gives traditional dancing his best shot

After their day of separate engagements, Charles and Camilla were then to reunite for a dinner with His Majesty the Sultan

Their visit, at the request of the British Government, is to promote the UK's partnership in the region in areas including wildlife conservation and supporting women in leadership.

Prince Charles was greeted by a guard of honour when he arrived at Muscat International Airport at 9.15pm local time on Friday. His wife had arrived privately earlier.

Today, Prince Charles and Camilla will begin the tour as guests of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said.

Their day began with a cultural welcome at the Ceremonial Boulevard in Muscat, where folkloric dancing will be performed to mark the start of their visit.

Camilla wore a bright turquoise loose fitting tunic and made good use of a parasol to keep off the sun as they were greeted to the Middle East

Although there was plenty of tradition on show, this image shows the modern world colliding with the ancient, as a man tucks his iPhone into his belt

Charles and Camilla were shown a traditional welcome on arrival to Oman. They will have a packed diary during their stay in the region and will tour three countries

An Omani man takes a picture of the royal couple on his iPhone as they begin their tour of the region, which will last seven days

In Oman, women often wear a traditional headscarf and their dress varies from region to region, but is usually brightly coloured

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall attended a cultural welcome at the Ceremonial Boulevard to mark the Royal visit to Oman

The ceremony consisted of two dances from different regions of Oman, and Charles and Camilla then met the dancers briefly.

Following their welcome, Charles will tour Muscat's new National Museum, which showcases the history of the nation from its first human settlement two million years ago through to the present day.

He viewed demonstrations of traditional handicraft-making at the museum, which opened in July, before being guided through the galleries.

These include the splendours of Islam, Oman and the world, with items such as three Royal Rasulid tombstones on long-term loan from the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The museum houses more than 5,500 objects and offers 43 digital immersive experiences for visitors.

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall attend a service at the Bait Al Noor church in Muscat, the capital of Oman, before going to their separate engagements through the city

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, receives a gift from a girl at the Oman Cancer Association's Dar Al Hanan Hostel on one of her engagements in the region

The Duchess of Cornwall meets patients at the Dar Al Hannan hostel for children suffering with cancer during her visit

Camilla visited the Oman Cancer Association's Dar Al Hanan Hostel, where she met children and parents before attending a reception with supporters and sponsors.

The association, which became active in 2002, was established by prominent Omani woman and four-times cancer survivor Yuthar Al Rawai.

Charles and Camilla then attended a service of celebration at Bait Al Noor Church, which was led by the Bishop of Cyprus and the Gulf.

The service marked the 125th anniversary of the final visit to the country by the First Bishop of Lahore, Bishop Thomas Valpy French, who travelled to Oman in 1895 to establish an Anglican Church in Arabia. He was in poor health and died a few months later but his work was continued by others.

The Duchess met with Omani women who are working in business or the public sector in the region in an event to honour their successes

Camilla, tries Omani Perfume as she attends a 'Woman in Business' event at the British Ambassador's Residence

The woman of Oman went to great lengths to make sure the Duchess felt at home, with a cake decorated with British symbolism. Here, she visits Etab Al-Zadjali's cake business stand, the cake gallery

Camilla attended a women in business event on Saturday, where she sampled Omani perfumes and cakes in a celebration of successful female enterprise.

One cake featured plenty of British symbols, and was sure to make the Duchess feel welcome and at home in Oman.

The event was held at the British Ambassador's residence in Muscat.

Prince Charles is greeted by an group of children on a walking tour of the Misfat Abriyeen village British royal visit to Oman

He was shown through Misdar Abriyeen by foot while his wife Camilla attended separate events including the Women in Business event

Charles is given an expert talk on Misfat Abriyeen on the second day of the royals visit to Oman, Bahrain and the UAE

Charles takes in the sights of Misfat Abriyeen, a unique mountainous village 1,000m above sea level in Oman

Prince Charles was given a walking guided tour of Misfat Al Abriyeen on Saturday, during the second day of their tour.

He was taken by helicopter to the 200-year-old village, which is divided into old and new settlements.

It is a traditional Omani village, with agricultural terraces along the mountain slopes and traditional mud houses with carved wooden doors.

The prince was shown an intricate falaj system - the traditional irrigation method - and a restored building which has been turned into a hostel.

Over the past 20 years, the old village has been abandoned in favour of more modern settlements.

Charles stopped at a viewpoint and looked at large rocks on the hill above, which were used by villagers to read the stars and determine how the water was shared among them.

Local children waved Omani and British flags as Charles left the area.

The village is unique and mountainous, standing 1,000m above sea level.

It boasts beautiful alleys, houses built on rocks and has become a tourist destination in recent years.

On the agricultural terraces, villagers grow bananas, pomegranates, papayas, mangoes, citrus trees and Charles took in his surroundings with expert guides.

Charles is presented with a gift during a visit to the Ras Al Shajar nature reserve in south east Oman on the afternoon of his second day

The reserve was founded in 1985 and is a diverse area, which contains several mammals including the Arabian Gazelle

Charles speaks with some of the women as he visits the Ras Al Shajar sanctuary and nature reserve, near to Muscat

Charles speaks to a local trader as part of his visit to Ras Al Shajar. He and Camilla have been on separate engagements today but will reunite for a banquet

The Prince watches as women in Ras Al Shajar decorate one another's hands with henna. Above right, the final result of the intricate practice

An Omani woman explains about the handicrafts as the Britain's Prince Charles visits a heritage village at the Ras Al Shajar Nature Reserve

Charles appears surprised as he chats to a man selling fruits and herbs at the heritage village in Muscat, where he is visiting with his wife

Charles makes a joke with an Omani man as he toured a nature reserve with a heritage village in Ras Al Shajar after enjoying a walking tour earlier today

Charles has also visited the Ras Al Shajar nature reserve as part of his second day engagements to view wild animals, birds and other creatures, taking in gazelles and wild desert beehives.

The sanctuary, famous for its biodiversity, animals, plants and geological elements, is one of the longest-established protected areas.

It is home to many rare mammals, including the Arabian gazelle, which lives in the coastal part of the sanctuary.

A wide range of wild plants, some of which are used by local villagers for medicinal purposes, grow there.

He spoke with local traders as he went to the reserve, an incredibly diverse area in south east Oman and was presented with a gift when he arrived.

The traders were selling their wares in a heritage village located at the reserve.

Charles and Camilla finished their first day in Oman with a private dinner.

Charles and Camilla are on a Royal tour of the Middle East starting with Oman, then the UAE and finally Bahrain. Above, Charles chats with the Minister of Heritage and Culture of the Sultanate of Oman Sayyid Haitham bin Tarik Al Said

The visit to the region is at the request of the British government, and it is hoped to promote partnership in the region, including women in leadership

Prince Charles' first engagement was to tour the National Museum in Muscat, which showcases the history of the nation from its first settlement to present day

Rolling out the red carpet: Prince Charles walks with the Minister of Heritage and Culture of the Sultanate of Oman Sayyid Haitham bin Tarik Al Said at Muscat VIP airport on the first day of a Royal tour of Oman