London, UK – Building on the deep-rooted ties between the Sultanate of Oman and the United Kingdom, H H Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham al Said, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth, and Prince William, the Prince of Wales, formally launched the Jewel of Arabia Expedition at  Royal Geographical Society (RGS) in London on Monday.

The 30-day journey on foot, camels and 4×4 in January 2025 will retrace the incredible 1928 journey of British explorer Bertram Thomas.

During the launch event, Prince William, patron of the expedition alongside H H Sayyid Theyazin, examined old pictures and maps of the route taken by Thomas.

H H Sayyid Theyazin invited Prince William to join the project because of his passion for conservation. The Prince of Wales learnt about Oman’s environmental protection efforts during a trip five years ago.

“I’m delighted to be joined by H H Sayyid Theyazin. 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,” Prince William said.

“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 Sultan Haitham.

“The expedition will walk in the footsteps of 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 of Wales added.

The expedition will follow the route taken by Thomas from Ras al Hadd, the most easterly point of the Arab world, along the coast to Salalah.

Passing through or close to many of Oman’s biodiversity hotspots, the expedition will use the power of social media, podcasts and photography to tell stories in Arabic and English that will put the spotlight on inspiring people and amazing places – the young Omanis working in the green arena and on Oman’s transition to becoming a sustainable global green energy hub.

The expedition will be led by Briton Mark Evans, who said, “The stars of the show will undoubtedly be the camels who are currently in ‘camel boot camp’ in Oman to prepare for the month-long desert trek.”