Prince William hints at a royal journey to Oman subsequent 12 months as he groups up with the nation’s Crown Prince on the Jewel of Arabia exhibition
Prince William hinted at a forthcoming royal visit to Oman as he met with members of an expedition which aims to retrace the footsteps of famous British explorer Bertram Thomas.
The Prince of Wales was joined at the Royal Geographic Society today by His Highness Theyazin bin Haitham, heir to the Omani throne.
The two kings in waiting are co-patrons of the Jewel of Arabia Expedition, which will see a crew of six traverse one of the most inhospitable places on earth in a thirty-day journey on foot, by camel and with the use of 4×4 vehicles.
The trek has been designed to promote the biodiversity and heritage of Oman but also highlight the environmental pressures facing the country.
The team will be retracing the steps of British explorer Bertram Thomas who made the journey in 1928. Thomas kept diaries of his travels, accompanied by photographs and detailed maps of the area.
While Prince William does not plan to fly to Oman in January to join the expedition, he told guests he would ‘try and make something happen’ in the future as regards a visit.
The prince added: ‘We’re in the planning process.’
After being shown a presentation about the expedition in the Education Room, William said: ‘I’ve just had the opportunity to look through some of the images from the RGS collection and they bring back warm memories of my visit to Oman in 2019.
Prince William looked dapper as he joined Oman’s Crown Prince Theyazin bin Haitham to unveil an ambitious environmental initiative in London today
Prince William, 42, joined his Omani counterpart for the London launch of the Jewel of Arabia Expedition at the Royal Geographical Society
‘This expedition will not only highlight Oman’s rich biodiversity and natural heritage, but also symbolises the enduring friendship between our two countries.
‘This was again demonstrated by the recent visit to the UK by His Majesty the Sultan of Oman.
‘The expedition will walk in the footsteps of British explorer Bertram Thomas, taking in the wonderful coastline of Oman.
‘They will be able to see the beauty of Oman, but also the damage done by climate change.’
He wished the team ‘the very best for the expedition’, adding: ‘I wish I was able to join you but I will be following it very closely.’
William added that he was ‘delighted’ that one of the previous winners from his Earthshot Prize had come from Oman.
The Rub Al Khali, the largest sand desert in the world, is one of the hottest, driest and most inhospitable places on earth. Encompassing Oman, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen is known as the ‘Empty Quarter’.
Briton Mark Evans, 63, expedition leader said: ‘The stars of the show will undoubtedly be the camels’ who are currently in ‘camel boot camp’ in Oman to prepare for them for the month-long desert trek.
They will start each day at 5am, aim to cover 25-30kms a day and will sleep in the desert without tents.
Evans will be joined on the journey by Nigel Harling, a British police officer with exploration experience, Ana-Maria Pavalache, a mountain leader and photographer, Shirka Al Mawali and Ibrahim Al Hasni, instructors with Outward Bound Oman, and Armour Al Wahibi who Evans said was ‘the only one who knows how to find first gear on a camel’.
Along the route, they will be met by young people from schools across Oman.
On the third day of the trip, a specially-adapted ‘Boma’ off-road wheelchair made by Equal Adventure, a Scottish company, will enable a disabled young person to experience part of the journey.
William and Theyazin unveiled the Jewel of Arabia Expedition as co-patrons of the project. The expedition aims to raise awareness amongst young people both in and outside Oman about the value of the country’s natural heritage and rich biodiversity
The 42-year-old Prince, who debuted a more rugged look last month, was still sporting a full beard – much to the delight of royal fans
William donned a navy blue suit for the launch event
William and Theyazin (right) also met representatives from Omani schools, who will be studying the expedition as a part of their curriculum
The Prince of Wales was invited by Theyazin to be a co-patron of the expedition due to William’s focused conservation efforts and activism over the years
The launch of the Jewel of Arabia Expedition follows William’s 2019 trip to Kuwait and Oman, which was also focused on themes of conservation and sustainability
Earlier this month, William announced the winners of his Earthshot Prize during a star-studded ceremony in Cape Town, South Africa
William delivered a speech at the Jewel of Arabia Expedition launch event on November 25
William was keen to know how the crew would navigate across the desert and how young people in Oman were engaging with environmental issues.
Before giving short speeches, Prince William and His Royal Highness Theyazin were shown pictures captured by Bertram Thomas during his own travels in the Empty Quarter.
Thomas, a ground-breaking explorer from Pill near Bristol, wrote extensive field notes which he typed up when he returned from his travels.
Upon completing his expedition, he received congratulatory telegrams from King George V and Sultan Taimur, then the ruler of Oman.
He lived and worked for the Sultan of Oman, taking leave in the winter months to travel widely through the country.
At the time, there was huge interest by Arabia in the 1920s, particularly following the publication of T.E. Lawrence the Seven pillars of wisdom.
Following his success, Thomas gave lectures around the world and wrote a book called Arabia Felix, which carried an introduction written by T.E. Lawrence, known as ‘Lawrence of Arabia’.
The biggest challenges for Thomas were said to have been encountering warring tribes, lack of water in the watering holes and his dependence on his Omani companion, Sheikh Saleh as they tried to navigate their way through the desert.
This time, they will have a new challenge: ‘soft’ camels, who are not deemed to be as hardy as those in the past, and a desire to engage with new technology so that their journey can be shared in real time.
Podcasts, interviews on Omani radio and an online tracker will all be used so that, through technology, people can track their journey in real time.
Next year, 2025, will be 225 years since a friendship treaty was signed between Britain and Oman.
