The British Royal Geographical Society, in collaboration with the Royal Embassy in London, in the presence of HRH Prince Khalid bin Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the United Kingdom, and HRH Princess Anne, daughter of Queen Elizabeth II, made the official announcement about the journey “Heart of Arabia”, which will follow the path of John Philby (Sheikh Abdullah), when he was heading to King Abdulaziz in 1917 AD.
Mark Evans, the leader of the expedition, gave a graphic presentation of the biography of John Philby, who was fluent in several languages, including Arabic, and said that Philby had a number of exciting adventures over the course of thirty years, but his greatest was his crossing of the Empty Quarter in 1932.
Evans spoke about the relationship between John Philby and King Abdulaziz. From the moment they first met, Philby was impressed by the unique personality and strength of King Abdulaziz, and a long friendship developed between them that lasted thirty-six years.
Princess Anne highly appreciated this expedition, which will become a source of inspiration for future generations, emphasizing that expeditions are important even today.
The Heart of Arabia Journey will begin in two stages spanning 1,300 km across the Kingdom. The journey will consist of two stages, the first from Al-Uqair on November 15, 2022 AD and the second in January 2023. The trip also aims to reach other important places far from the original path taken by John Philby.
The expedition team includes: Mark Evans, expedition leader, Anna Maria Pavallacci, photographer, Alan Morrissey, an expert who has gone through many expeditions to the most remote corners of Saudi Arabia, and, finally, Rem Philby, John Philby’s granddaughter, traveler and explorer.
