The Prince of Wales, joined by Crown Prince of Oman, attended the launch of the Jewel of Arabia expedition, which will retrace the footsteps of British explorer Bertram Thomas.
Prince Theyazin invited William to join the project as Co-Patron due to his passion for conservation. Tackling climate change has been a key part of William’s royal work in recent years, with him launching the Earthshot Prize in recent years.
The Prince of Wales, Co-Patron of the “Jewel of Arabia Expedition” attends the London launch at the Royal Geographical Society. His Royal Highness has become Co-Patron alongside His Highness Theyazin bin Haitham. (Picture by Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace)
Thomas was an English diplomat and explorer who is the first known person from the West to cross the Rub’ al Khali (Empty Quarter). Upon completing his expedition, he received telegrams from George V and Sultan Taimur, the then-ruler of Oman. He lived and worked for the Sultan of Oman and took leave during the colder months to travel through the country.
Thomas’ original expedition saw him cross Oman’s Rub al Khali (Empty Quarter) in 1928, with the Jewel of Arabia expedition retrace the same route. The expedition is scheduled to begin in January 2025 and will follow a the historic route from Ras al Hadd to Salalah, spanning the course of 30 days.
A range of items were on display at the launch event, including photographs from William’s last visit to Oman. (Picture by Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace)
Participants, including Omani youth and British adventurers, will experience a difficult journey on foot, by camel, and by 4×4 vehicles. With participants from both the United Kingdom and Oman, the initiative will celebrate the historic and cultural ties between the two countries while promoting youth development, environmental conservation, and cultural exchange. The group will be led by explorer and guide Mark Evans MBE who will be joined by a group of six.
The visit saw Prince William and His Royal Highness Theyazin being shown photographs captured by by Bertram Thomas during his own travels in the Empty Quarter. There were also a number of artefacts from Thomas’s original journey on display.
The Prince spoke about the forthcoming expedition. (Picture by Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace)
Speaking at the event, Prince William said he has ‘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’. William’s last visit to Oman reflected his personal interests, such as conservation and the outdoors,
The future king stated that the Jewel of Arabia expedition will ‘highlight Oman’s rich biodiversity and natural heritage’ and take in the ‘wonderful coastline of Oman’ and its ‘beauty’. However, William did stress that the trekkers will see the damage to the coastline caused by climate change.
He concluded his message stating that he wished he could join the Jewel of Arabia expedition but will be following their movements ‘very closely’.
Crown Prince of Oman spoke at the launch event for Jewel of Arabia. (Picture by Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace)
Whilst The Prince doesn’t have plans to visit Oman in January, he told attendees that he would ‘try and make something happen’ in the future as regards a visit to the country. He added that ‘we’re in the planning process’.
The Prince and Princess of Wales have had to postpone any joint visits abroad this year, whilst Catherine has undergone treatment for cancer. In September, The Princess revealed that her journey isn’t over yet and her ‘path to healing and full recovery is long’ and she must take each day as it comes but is ‘looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months’.
