Sanaullah Ataullah
DOHA: A team of two Omanis and an Oman-based British man who took on an adventurous camel trip to explore the world’s largest sand desert, ‘Empty Quarter’ (Al Ruba Al Khali) that crosses a major portion of the Arabian Peninsula, arrived in Doha yesterday by 4pm.
The journey dubbed ‘Tahaddi Arabia’ (Arabian Challenge) got under way in Salalah, Oman, last December 10 and continued across Saudi Arabia through to the Empty Quarter, culminating in Qatar.
The travellers attempted to retrace the footsteps of British explorer Bertram Thomas accompanied by Sheikh Saleh bin Klute from Oman who sought to cross the Empty Quarters in 1930.
The Empty Quarters is regarded as one of the world’s hottest and driest isolated deserts. It spans an area of 650,000sqkm, covering the Arabian Peninsula, as it stretches across Saudi Arabia, Oman, the UAE and Qatar.
Its’ expanse is roughly the size of France, Belgium and the Netherlands combined. The temperatures in the Empty Quarter during the summer reach up to more than 50 degrees C, while dropping below zero in winter.
H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President, Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), welcomed the team at Al Rayyan Castle (Qala). A traditional welcome song was presented by a group of Qatari youth. The reception ceremony was organised by the Ministry of Youth and Sport.
The explorers are Mohammad Al Zadjali (32), Amour Al Wahaibi (38) and Mark Evans, 54.
They walked 1,300km in 49 days at 30-40km a day. The team is backed by three camels and two pick-ups carrying water and other things for emergency.
“We made 1.7 million steps from Salalah in southern Oman through Saudi Arabia to Doha,” Evans told a press conference on the sidelines of the reception ceremony. “My team members lost weight by seven to 10 kg. I lost some 10 kg.”
He said the team has to undergo physical and mental challenges but mental challenge was more painful.
“When we got up by 5am to 5.30am to resume our journey, our first question was how far our destination to Doha remaining. One day was very tough when the temperature was some 30 degree and wind stop blowing and our camels refused to go ahead,” said Evans.
The planning for the journey began about a year ago, said Al Zadjali. “I am proud to be part of the team. A day in December (25 or 26) was very tough for me. I had severe stomach pain. When I tried to go to a doctor I was told that the hospital is some 200km from here,” he added.
Comparing this trip to those in the old times, Al Wahaibi said, “We are equipped with GPS system and backed by two pick-ups unlike those in old age. Their journey was more risky because they could die if their camels died due to lack of water. But we have water in our pick-up for emergency.”
The milestone marked only the second such instance of its kind in the Arabian history, as the travellers covered an estimated 1,300km while retracing the footstep of the original fete in 1930. The ceremony was attended by Saudi Ambassador to Qatar Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Aifan, Omani Ambassador Mohammed bin Nasser Al Wahaibi, British Ambassador Ajay Sharma and senior state officials.
The Peninsula
