Prince William attended the London launch of the Jewel of Arabia expedition (Image: Getty)
Prince William spoke of his wish to return to Oman as he teamed up with His Highness Theyazin bin Haitham, heir to the Omani throne, to meet crew members who are set to embark on an expedition of the Asian country in the New Year.
William, 42, made the comments at the London launch of the Jewel of Arabia Expedition, which will see a crew of six traverse one of the most inhospitable places on earth in a thirty-day journey on foot, by camel and with the use of 4×4 vehicles.
The trek has been designed to promote the heritage of Oman and highlight the environmental pressures facing the country.
The crew will retrace the footsteps of famous British explorer Bertram Thomas, who travelled along the southeast coast of Oman in 1928.
During the 42-day trip, Mr Thomas kept detailed diaries, which included detailed scientific observations and the discovery of new specimens, some of which were new to science at the time.
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Prince William attended with His Highness Theyazin bin Haitham, heir to the Omani throne (Image: Getty)
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The prince was joined at the Royal Geographic Society by His Highness Theyazin bin Haitham, heir to the Omani throne, where they were shown a presentation of the expedition.
“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,” William said.
“This expedition will not only highlight Oman’s rich biodiversity and natural heritage but also symbolises the enduring friendship between our two countries.”
He wished the team “the very best for the expedition”, adding: “I wish I was able to join you but I will be following it very closely.”
While William does not plan to fly to Oman in January to join the expedition, he told guests at the Royal Geographic Society that he would “try and make something happen” in the future regarding another visit to Oman.
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Prince William said he wanted to return to Oman (Image: Getty)
The prince added: “We’re in the planning process.”
The two royal’s, who are co-patrons of the expedition, were told that the group would start at 5am, aim to cover 25-30kms a day and sleep in the desert without tents.
Expedition leader Mark Evans, 63, said “the stars of the show will undoubtedly be the camels” who are currently in “camel boot camp” in Oman to prepare for them for the month-long desert trek.
The crew will set off on January 6 and members of the public will be able to track their journey in real time.