Prince William is planning an overseas trip in a bid to deepen Royal Family ties.
The Prince of Wales hinted at upcoming travel plans today when he met crew members about to embark on a challenging expedition.
Prince William, 42, was joined by His Highness Theyazin bin Haitham, heir to the Omani throne, at the Royal Geographic Society in London.
The two royal heirs are co-patrons of the Jewel of Arabia Expedition, which will see a crew of six travel to one of the most unwelcoming places in a 30-day journey on foot, by camel, and in 4x4 vehicles.
Prince William opens up about 'planning process' of royal tours
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Prince William is not planning to fly to Oman in January to join the expedition.
However, he told guests that he would "try and make something happen" in the future regarding another visit to Oman.
He added: "We're in the planning process."
Reflecting on his last visit to the Middle Eastern country, William said: "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 pictured with Theyazin bin Haitham, heir to the Omani throne, both co-patrons of the Jewel of Arabia Expedition
PA
"This expedition will not only highlight Oman's rich biodiversity and natural heritage, but also symbolises the enduring friendship between our two countries.
"This was again demonstrated by the recent visit to the UK by His Majesty the Sultan of Oman.
"The expedition will walk in the footsteps of British explorer Bertram Thomas, taking in the wonderful coastline of Oman.
"They will be able to see the beauty of Oman, but also the damage done by climate change."
Prince William attended the launch of the expedition at The Royal Geographical Society
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The crew will retrace the route taken by Bertram Thomas along the southeast coast of Oman in 1928.
The trip took him 42 days where he undertook detailed scientific observations and discovered new specimens, some of which were new to science at the time.
The Rub Al Khali, the largest sand desert in the world, is one of the hottest, driest and most inhospitable places on earth.
Encompassing Oman, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen is known as the "Empty Quarter".
