He has now pulled out of the game and the event has been scrapped, with a statement from the royal's spokesperson blaming the cancellation on the troubles in the Middle East and North Africa which has seen riots in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. The statement reads, "Prince Harry will no longer be making his planned visit to Dubai on 19th March."
"As a consequence, the Sentebale Polo Cup - scheduled to coincide with Prince Harry's visit - has been canceled. Prince Harry was very much looking forward to the visit, but feels that it would be insensitive for him to participate in a sporting event at a time when there are matters of greater priority to focus on in the region. Prince Harry looks forward to other opportunities to visit Dubai in the future."