Three explorers set to ‘take on’ Empty Quarter
British explorer Mark Evans and his Omani companions Mohammed Al Zadjali and Amour Al Wahaibi will attempt the 1,300km long, 60-day expedition journey on foot and on camels
MUSCAT: Three explorers — two Omanis and one British — will undertake a 1,300 km journey across the Empty Quarter from Salalah, through the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia and concluding in Doha, Qatar.
As part of the Sultanate’s 45th National Day celebrations, with the blessing of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said and under the patronage of His Highness Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq Al Said in Oman and HRH Prince CharlesThe Prince of Wales in the United Kingdom and HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani in Qatar, the ‘Crossing the Empty Quarter’ expedition will start on December 10.
They will depart from Bait Mirbat in Salalah with an aim to reach Doha at the end of January 2016.
British explorer Mark Evans and his Omani companions Mohammed Al Zadjali and Amour Al Wahaibi will attempt the 1,300km long, 60-day expedition, on foot and on camels.
Announcing the expedition here on Sunday, Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that it is hoped that they (three men) will be joined during the various stages of the journey by some other young men from Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Abdullah Al Khater, Qatari ambassador to Oman, and Jonathan Wilks, British ambassador to the Sultanate, were also present at the event where it was announced.
The journey will mark the 85-year anniversary of the completion of the first Empty Quarter crossing in 1931 by Bertram Thomas, a British civil servant and Minister of Finance to Sultan Taimour from 1925–1930; and Sheikh Saleh bin Kalut Al Kathiri, an Omani hero and legend who became probably the first and only Omani to complete the journey from sea to sea, from Salalah to Doha.
Bertram Thomas and Al Kathiri took 60 days to reach their destination negotiating their way through warring tribes, sand storms and an unforgiving landscape, combating the scorching heat, freezing nights, blinding sandstorms and surviving on a diet of brackish water, dates, dried meat and packet soup.
“One factor that was essential for the success of the first attempt to cross the Empty Quarter in 1930 is the ancient tradition of hospitality and warm reception,” said Al Busaidi.
“It could not have been done without the boundless hospitality of the Omani, Saudi and Qatari people along the way,” he added.
Challenging expedition
Mark Evans, general manager of Outward Bound Oman and head of the Crossing the Empty Quarter expedition team, said: “We are proud to be undertaking this historic and challenging expedition, and look forward to starting the journey in a little over one months’ time. One of our key objectives is to encourage and inspire young people, and instil the idea that success in life can only be achieved by sustained hard work, willingness and team spirit.”
Speaking about the difficulty of the journey, Amour Al Wahaibi; a man born, raised and living in a Bedouin village inside the Sharqiyah Sands, said, “I used to work in tourism and I have a background which I had focused on. A person learns to endure throughout his lifetime and I hope the next generations of our children learn to endure like us and be able to look up at us for inspiration.”
When asked about the potential challenges that they might face during the trip, Mohammad Al Zadjali, training manager at Outward Bound Oman, said, “Actually, the biggest challenge is always faced before the expedition where we are in the preparation stages. There will be challenges out there and we have to wait and see.”
Al Zadjali also said, “I am honoured to carry the Omani flag during this fantastic expedition and spread this message to the Omani Youth, and express to them that ambition is the key to achieving goals with hard work and planning.”
Navigation
The explorers will navigate from Salalah to Doha via Saudi Arabia using the same route taken by Thomas and bin Kalut in 1930.
Stars and proper knowledge of the desert were the optimal means of navigation through the Empty Quarter in 1930 and when asked about how the team will navigate, they responded by saying they will refer to the GPS (Global Positioning System) for reference.
“With the development of technology, we will use GPS for navigating the desert. However, we will not follow the GPS for the most part of our journey,” said Al Zadjali.
“The GPS will always give you a straight line to your destination, therefore, we must explore the location for the easier routes,” he explained.
A truck filled with enough supplies, food and water will be following the explorers. After crossing the Saudi Arabian border, the truck will replenish supplies for the remainder of the journey. This historical journey will also be documented by another truck following them.
Live tracking
With the development of technology, in the desert as well, followers of the expedition will be able to receive live tracking feeds about the explorers during their journey across the desert. Android and IOS users will be able to download the ‘Tahaddi Arabia’ application to keep up with the journey.