Exploring With Purpose
Mark Evans, MBE
From the high Arctic to the deserts of Arabia, for more than forty years Mark has been leading expeditions with purpose, focusing on projects and capturing stories that leave meaningful legacies to both local and international communities and causes.
Arabia has been Mark’s home for 25 years; his unrivalled knowledge of the region sees him lead tours for award winning travel operators and act as consultant for a wide variety of clients such as The Saudi Arabian National Centre for Wildlife Conservation and UNESCO. He also provides expertise to high-end desert development projects, architects and engineers. From The Smithsonian and The Cosmos Club in Washington DC to New York, London, Dubai and Hong Kong, Mark regularly delivers inspiring lectures around the world.
A fellow of The Royal Geographical Society in London and The Explorers Club in New York, and an Honorary Fellow of The Royal Scottish Geographical Society, Mark was awarded an MBE in 2012 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth for his innovative work using the deserts of Arabia to facilitate intercultural dialogue and peacebuilding amongst emerging leaders. In 2023 he was awarded The Medal of Honour by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, The Sultan of Oman for his role in establishing the not for profit Outward Bound in Oman.
Patron of The Andrew Croft Memorial Fund, when not on the back of camel, Mark lives in Beauly in the highlands of Scotland where he is a trustee of the outdoor youth development charity Àban and the Scottish Arctic Club Expedition Fund.
Current Projects
2024/25 Jewel of Arabia; a 30-day journey in Oman on foot, camel and 4×4 in the 1928 footsteps of explorer Bertram Thomas, celebrating Oman’s rich biodiversity and putting the spotlight on the inspiring young people working to preserve Oman’s rich natural heritage www.jewelofarabiaexpedition.com
2025/26 Oman 3165; 2026 sees the first UN COP gathering dedicated to Oceans; in celebration of this, Oman 3165, a fusion of Bedouin and Inuit cultures sees a north-south sixty-day solo journey along the coastline of Oman in a 5-metre Greenland design kayak, showcasing Oman’s rich maritime heritage and biodiversity and telling the stories of the people whose lives are closely connected to the sea. Details coming soon ….
2026/27 Darb Zubaydah; a 30-40 day journey on foot and by camel along one of the most famous of ancient pilgrim trails, from Baghdad to Mecca, crossing a desert termed by the local Bedouin as ‘the anvil of the sun’. The journey is a story of devotion, and one woman’s inspired leadership. It provides an opportunity to promote intercultural understanding and a greater awareness of the key pillars of Islam, to challenge stereotypes, celebrate innovative water engineering and support the bid to secure UNESCO World Heritage status for the Darb Zubaydah. Details coming soon …
