Episode 41

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Published on:

2nd Mar 2023

Journey with Purpose

Journey with Purpose. That is expedition leader, Mark Evans’ great ambition for the Heart of Arabia expedition. To inspire others to travel with a reason, to learn, to understand, to appreciate. It’s an attitude that mirrors what Harry. St. John (Abdullah) Philby did when he set off on his own expedition across Arabia.

In this first podcast we’ll meet the expedition team and discover more about Philby from his family.

The team is small, dynamic and fast moving but all experts in their field. They’re led by Oman based, British explorer Mark Evans, MBE.

Mark is a lifelong explorer and geographer, as much at home on ice as he is in the desert. Ana-Maria Pavalache is the expedition photographer who will capture the sights of the desert and the stories of the people they meet. Riyadh based Alan Morrissey is leading on logistics and a study into ancient lithic artefacts. The final team member is Reem Philby, Philby’s granddaughter. Reem is a natural explorer and looking forward to introducing the team, and us through these podcasts, to her homeland.

In front of the Expedition Patron HRH The Princes Royal, with support from Ambassadors from the UK and Saudi Arabia, Diplomats, fellow explorers and geographers, the Heart of Arabia Expedition was launched in London at The Royal Geographical Society. The very place that Philby returned to to tell the world of his own expedition, so that is where we pick up the story of the Heart of Arabia in our podcast.

The Heart of Arabia expedition started on 15th November 2022 when Mark and his team travalled the same route as Philby did exactly 105 years earlier. Over the next few weeks, join us as we take a deep dive into the Heart of Arabia. Subscribe now to join us on every footstep of the way in the Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast.

Expedition website: The Heart of Arabia Expedition

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The Heart of Arabia Expedition podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio

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About the Podcast

Heart of Arabia Expedition

The Heart of Arabia Expedition is a two-stage 1,300km journey across Saudi Arabia, loosely following the route of the explorer Harry St John (Abdullah) Philby.

The Heart of Arabia Expedition is a two-stage 1,300km journey across Saudi Arabia, loosely following the route of the explorer Harry St John (Abdullah) Philby. Just as Philby did on his travels across Arabia, The Heart of Arabia Expedition will gather primary field data, supporting three specific areas of research. Our podcasts will enable you to follow our progress, learn about the endeavours and achievements of the explorer Philby, and discover the extraordinary beauty and diversity of Arabia.

About your hosts

Mark Evans

Mark Evans MBE He has lived in Arabia for nearly 25 years.

In 2005 Mark was cited by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth as a Pioneer of the Nation for his work in outdoor education, and in 2012 was awarded the MBE for his work in using the deserts of Arabia as a vehicle for intercultural dialogue and peacebuilding. Mark is an International Fellow of The Explorers Club of New York, a Fellow of The Royal Geographical Society in London and an Honorary Fellow of The Royal Scottish Geographical Society.

40 years of expeditions include a 24-day parachute assisted crossing of the Greenland Ice Cap and a solo 55-day kayak journey along the coastline of Oman from Musandam to Yemen. In 2016 Mark, with two Omani companions became the first European in 85 years to retrace the first crossing of the largest sand desert on earth, the Empty Quarter, a journey of 49 days on foot and by camel. In 2019 Mark was awarded The Geographical Award by The Royal Geographical Society in London, and The Rawabi Award by The Saudi British Society in the UK for his work promoting a greater understanding of Saudi Arabia.

Joining Mark on The Heart of Arabia Expedition are team members Explorer Reem Philby, Expedition Photographer Ana-Maria Pavalache, Expedition Logistics Expert Alan Morrissey. You will hear from them all in these podcasts.

Adventurous Audio

The creative partnership behind Adventurous Audio is Pennie Latin Stuart and Dan Holland. We worked together as a team at the BBC for years—45 between us—producing an insane range of content, covering every conceivable topic from comedy to hard-hitting documentaries, food, the arts, science, music, sport and outside broadcasts, for just about every audio corner of the BBC - BBC Sounds and BBC Radio Scotland, Radio 4, Radio 3 and Radio 2.