The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall flew into Bahrain for a visit aimed at strengthening Britain's relationship with a key Gulf state ally.
Charles and Camilla stepped from the plane into bright sunshine and were warmly welcomed by the country's Crown Prince, Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa.
The royal couple looked relaxed as they walked down a length of red carpet past a guard of honour and met ministers, officials and Britain's ambassador Jamie Bowden.
The dignitaries and their entourage swept into a VIP terminal for traditional Middle Eastern tea where the Prince chatted to the Crown Prince.
The Duchess, who wore a pale green flowing crepe tunic and cream-coloured trousers, spent a few minutes talking to Dr Fatima Al Belushi, minister for social development.
Bahrain - whose name means "two seas" - was virtually a British protectorate until it gained independence in 1971.
The country, which is a chain of around 30 islands, was the first Gulf state to discover oil, but its supplies never matched those of its neighbours and it has diversified into providing financial services and aluminium production.
It is strategically important to the west and is home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet and has had a continuous British military presence for around 100 years.
The state's ruling Al-Khalifa family have been in power since 1783 and their relaxed and informal nature is said to make them a favourite of Britain's royal family.
The Prince and Duchess are in the middle of a ten-day tour of the Gulf and have already visited Kuwait and Qatar.
