The Prince of Wales has spoken of his desire to return to the Middle East as he launched an expedition inspired by a famous British explorer.
William visited Oman in 2019 and on Monday gave his support to six explorers who have been inspired by Bertram Thomas, who took a 42-day trip along the south-east coast of the country in 1928 discovering new specimens.
Speaking on Monday to a group of education and youth outreach staff at the Royal Geographical Society, William expressed his desire to return to Oman, saying: “We’ll make something happen, time flies.”
William is co-patron of the expedition alongside Crown Prince Theyazin bin Haitham, heir to the Omani throne, who also attended the event.
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
The prince’s 2019 trip was without the Princess of Wales, but he has sounded optimistic about possible joint overseas engagements with his wife after her cancer battle.
“I think hopefully Catherine will be doing a bit more next year, so we’ll have some more trips maybe lined up,” he said earlier this month.
The last foreign trip the couple made together was when Kate joined her husband in Boston, US, for the Earthshot Prize awards ceremony in 2022.
The Oman expeditioners group will travel by foot and on camels from Ras Al Hadd, the most easterly point of the Arab world, along the coast of Salalah for 30 days next year.
The Crown Prince invited William to be co-patron because of his passion for conservation and protecting the planet, which he explored during the 2019 trip where he learnt about Oman’s culture and its environmental protection efforts.
Speaking at Monday’s event, William said: “I’m delighted to be joined by His Highness Theyazin bin Haitham and I just had the opportunity to look through some of the images from the RGS collection and they bring back all memories from my visit to Oman in 2019.
“This expedition will not only highlight Oman’s rich biodiversity and natural heritage, but it 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.”
Mark Evans OBE, 63, who will lead the expedition, explained that they will move every morning at 5am, walking the camels for the first hour and then riding them.
They plan to cover 25-30km a day for the first two weeks and then 35-45km a day for the rest, as once riding the camels they will be able to travel six or seven km an hour.
Mr Evans said: “We will walk ourselves fit, we’re not trying to be the fastest, that’s meaningless for me, it’s all about slow travel, telling stories, and using technology to put the spotlight on a country that is actually so naturally reserved, it never puts itself front of house.
“I just hope that they will use it to challenge their own stereotypes of the Middle East.
“The involvement of the two patrons really does put a super bright spotlight on the messaging of innovation and young people engaging with biodiversity and sustainability.
“It gives this incredible country its moment on stage, on a global platform, it would never ask for it because that’s not what it does, but I think it’s just lovely to be able to give them a helping hand in the journey that they’re undertaking.”
The expedition aims to raise awareness among young people in and outside of Oman of the country’s natural heritage and biodiversity, alongside the environmental challenges the country and wider world face.
During the exhibition, the team will use film, podcasts and social media to share stories about Oman’s biodiversity and its efforts to become a green energy hub.
