Welcome to the start of The Jewel of Arabia Expedition. With the Indian ocean lapping at their feet, Mark and the team have gathered on the very beach that Bertram Thomas landed on at the start of his expedition.

After a busy day of logistics and packing yesterday, today is the day the team start their journey, and Mark talks to us just as the sun rises about what lies ahead. Already Oman’s beautiful biodiversity is on display with birdlife surrounding them.

After 8 hours of travelling, they arrive at a small Bedouin community. It has been a tough first day navigating watercourses, keeping camels out of quicksand and getting spiked by what Thomas described as jungles of Acacia trees.

Expedition website: The Jewel of Arabia Expedition

The Jewel of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio

Like many explorers Bertram Thomas OBE fell in love with Arabia and its great empty spaces. Awarded the Livingstone Medal by The Royal Scottish Geographical Society and the Founders Medal by the Royal Geographical Society he was the desert explorer that nobody had really heard about.

In 1928 Thomas travelled south down the coast of Oman along a route that joined up sites of rich biodiversity and the unique flora and fauna of this Arab nation. Thomas built a relationship with the people and communities he passed through.

In this podcast you will hear how, using Thomas’s original diary as their guide and inspiration, Mark Evans and his team will retrace this route. They’ll explore the rich biodiversity and beauty of Oman, and the people working to protect it.

Like Thomas before them, The Jewel of Arabia Expedition will form relationships and tell the stories of the people they meet. The people who are navigating Oman into a greener and more sustainable future in the face of the climate emergency.

Leaving on 6th January from Ras al Hadd, join the Jewel of Arabia Expedition around the campfire for daily podcast updates and follow them in the footsteps of Bertram Thomas.

Expedition website: The Jewel of Arabia Expedition

The Jewel of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio

Join expedition leader, Mark Evans at the Royal Geographical Society in London for the launch of The Jewel of Arabia Expedition.

In the presence of, and hearing from expedition co- patrons His Royal Highness Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham, and His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales this 30-day journey on foot, by camel and 4x4 retracing the 1928 journey of British Explorer Bertram Thomas will celebrate Oman’s rich biodiversity and shine a spotlight on young Omani’s working in the green arena.

Starting on 6th January 2025 you can join the expedition team as they set off near Ras al Hadd, the Eastern most point of the arab speaking world and share their journey traveling down the coast to the southern city of Salalah through this podcast which tells stories of people, place, and culture and innovation in this unique country.

Find out more by visiting the Expedition website: The Jewel of Arabia Expedition

The Jewel of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio