Two years ago, the team of Mark Evans, MBE, Ana-Maria Pavalache, Alan Morrissey, and Reem Philby set out for the first stage of their Heart of Arabia expedition. The two-stage, 1,300km trek across Saudi Arabia is loosely following the steps of Harry St John Philby's 1917 mission to Ibn Saud. The team is utilized walking, camels, and 4x4 vehicles.
Two years later, on December 2nd 2024, Mr. Evans and Ms. Pavalache are joined by Dhikra Al Mawali, Nigel Harling, Amour Al Wahibi, and Ibrahim Al Hasni for the Jewel of Arabia expedition. This 30-day journey is is pretty damned cool: It will retrace the steps of the 1928 Oman expedition by Bertram Thomas, who was an explorer, scientist, and diplomat.
Using camels, 4x4 vehicles and Mr. Thomas' notes, the team will retrace the original journey and bring attention to some of the history and biodiversity of the country, with the end goal of helping Oman to have a more sustainable future. As a nod to just how bloody cool this expedition will be, two special guests will be on hand for the launch: His Royal Highness Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth in Oman, and His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. You read that right - Prince Harry will be there.
This one is definitely worth watching. It would be neat to do some sort of desert expedition someday, so I will be paying attention.
There is a link above about how to watch along and learn about the expedition, and the talented team working to make it happen.
