Dr. Mohab Al Hinai, Vice President of Sustainability and Circular Economy at Oman Environmental Services Holding Company - Be’ah is a self-confessed sustainability junkie, leading transformative initiatives that drive sustainability and circular economy principles across The Sultanate. His diary is so busy that I only managed to catch up with him at the end of our Jewel of Arabia, but it was worth the wait as a fascinating discussion ensued….!

Expedition website: The Jewel of Arabia Expedition

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The Jewel of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio

From the massive wetland reserve of Bar al Hikmann to the man made reed beds filtering polluted water. From Oman’s first wind farm to the opening of raptor restaurants. From camera trapping hyenas to the rapturous welcome and start of the expedition legacy at Knowledge Gate International School Muscat.

In this second of a two-part podcast, Expedition Leader Mark Evans looks back on some of his personal highlights from the 30 day expedition starting at the birdwatcher's paradise of Bar al Hikmann and taking us down the rest of Thomas’s route to Salalah before turning back for Muscat and the start of the Jewel of Arabia legacy.

Expedition website: The Jewel of Arabia Expedition

Follow the expedition on social media: Instagram and Facebook

The Jewel of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio

From the shores of The Indian Ocean to the starlit skies of 1000 night camp. From the sounds of the desert to the call to prayer. From protected turtles to the very first all-terrain wheelchair in The Middle East.

In this first of a two-part podcast, Expedition Leader Mark Evans looks back on some of his personal highlights from the 30 day expedition starting on the beach near Ras Al Haad and taking us down to Masirah Island just off the mainland coast of Oman.

Expedition website: The Jewel of Arabia Expedition

Follow the expedition on social media: Instagram and Facebook

The Jewel of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio

In the days after the end of the expedition the team have dispersed and travelled home. Nigel to the Lake District in England, Ana-Maria to Switzerland, Dikra and Ibrahim to their families in Oman. But before they left, Mark, took a moment to get them all to look back on the expedition, their personal highlights, and the things that have really struck them about the drive for a more sustainable and biodiverse in this beautiful country.

There are wonderful stories of wildlife, of communication, of warm welcoming hospitality, or natural beauty and much much more.

As the Jewel of Arabia now looks towards education and legacy, It was perhaps Ibrahim who summed it all up so well… The Jewel of Arabia isn’t just the journey, it’s the message.

Now the physical expedition has drawn to an end the legacy and engagement aspects of the Jewel of Arabia ramp up.

Over the last 3 days Mark and the team have spoken to over 1,500 young Omani’s about the expedition, how they have been following it, but most importantly, how they will look to the future from what they have learnt.

To find out what young people have been learning Mark visited the Knowledge Gate International school in Muscat where he was welcomed by 600 super enthusiastic pupils and the bagpipes.

Expedition website: The Jewel of Arabia Expedition

Follow the expedition on social media: Instagram and Facebook

The Jewel of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio

Mark and the team have arrived at their destination, the 2nd city of Oman, Salalah. The last couple of days have been a whirlwind of visits from students from British School Salalah, joining The British Council hackathon and something very special captured on the daily trail cameras set near their overnight campsites.

In amongst all of this, the team were formally received in Salalah by His Highness Sayyid Marwan Al Said, Governor of Dhofar. In front of a local audience, including His Excellency Salim Al Mahrouqi, Minister of Heritage and Tourism and His Excellency Azzan Al Busaidi, Undersecretary Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, Mark talked the guests through the expedition and the remarkable sights and sounds of sustainability and biodiversity the team found in Oman.

Expedition website: The Jewel of Arabia Expedition

Follow the expedition on social media: Instagram and Facebook

The Jewel of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio

On the last walking day of the expedition, the team followed Thomas’s diary notes to trace his route down into Wadi Darbat, Which during the monsoon season becomes raging torrent of a river. Of course, this amount of water brings with it life. So after the team had scrambled and crawled their way down to the wadi bed through thick thorny undergrowth, they were treated with the sight of azure blue river pools that teemed with fish life and so also attracting a huge variety of birdlife too. A very special place to visit as they approach Salalah.

Every night Mark has been setting a camera trap. See some of what they have captured on the Expedition Instagram, but last night was very special when the camera caught an Arabian wolf eating some leftover lamb carcass left as bait.

In the Dhofar mountains the team are deep in Arabian leopard territory, to round up this episode Mark describes a multinational reintroduction programme for the Arabian leopard.

Expedition website: The Jewel of Arabia Expedition

Follow the expedition on social media: Instagram and Facebook

The Jewel of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio

Now in the southern region of Oman, Mark and the Jewel of Arabia team have arrived in the region Bertram Thomas referred to as Arabia Felix. Mark describes this as one of his favourite places in the world.

The landscape has changed from rough, rocky and arid desert to rich, lush green, almost tropical looking . The wildlife has changed too, they caught the first bat on their camp trail camera last night. In was a treeless landscape apart from a few acacia and frankincense trees today the team visited the largest living land species in Oman, giant baobab trees at Wadi Hanna. This landscape couldn’t be more different from the sands of The Empty Quarter where the team were just a few days ago.

It is very easy to see why Thomas referred to this area of Oman as Arabia Felix.

And as the expedition starts to near its end point of Salalah, Marks looks ahead to the welcome and visits planned for the next few days.

Expedition website: The Jewel of Arabia Expedition

Follow the expedition on social media: Instagram and Facebook

The Jewel of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio