Prince William, the Prince of Wales, recently spoke about potential future travels as he engaged with crew members preparing for an ambitious expedition.
On Monday, at the Royal Geographic Society in London, Prince William, 42, was joined by His Highness Theyazin bin Haitham, the Omani heir, as they discussed the Jewel of Arabia Expedition.
The expedition involves a group of six explorers who will take on a grueling 30-day journey, navigating some of the world’s most unforgiving terrains on foot, by camel, and in 4x4 vehicles.
Although William does not plan to join the journey to Oman in January, he expressed that he would be open to visiting the country in the future, saying, “We’re in the planning process,” and promising he would “try and make something happen.”
Looking back on his 2019 visit to Oman, he reflected fondly on the memories, commenting, "I've 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.”
The expedition aims to showcase the natural wonders and biodiversity of Oman while also highlighting the ongoing collaboration between the UK and Oman. This connection was further solidified during Sultan Oman’s recent visit to the UK.
The crew will follow in the footsteps of British explorer Bertram Thomas, retracing his 1928 exploration of Oman’s southeast coastline. Thomas spent 42 days mapping the region, making new scientific discoveries, some of which were groundbreaking at the time.
The explorers will face the challenge of crossing the Rub Al Khali, the largest and most hostile sand desert on Earth, spanning Oman, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Yemen. This arid, scorching desert is often referred to as the “Empty Quarter.”
Earlier this month, William travelled to Cape Town, South Africa, to attend the Earthshot Awards, marking his first major appearance since his wife, Kate, the Princess of Wales, completed her chemotherapy treatment.
Kate, 42, is now easing back into her public duties after her cancer treatment ended in September.
Looking ahead, William shared optimism about future engagements with Kate, saying, “Hopefully Catherine will be doing a bit more next year, so we’ll have some more trips lined up.”
