A 650 km, ~40-day cross-border transect, on foot and by camel, along the ancient incense-trade corridor, from the Dana Biosphere Reserve through Petra and Wadi Rum to Hegra and AlUla, linking three UNESCO World Heritage sites across two kingdoms.
The story is not walking from Petra to AlUla. The story is what an ancient desert civilisation can teach us about survival, water, movement, health and resilience today.
The Nabataeans engineered water, trade and life across one of Earth's harshest corridors. Their route is now a natural laboratory, for microbiology, heritage science, human physiology and the future of planetary exploration.
The expedition is built with and for its hosts, an Explorers Club Flag Expedition running from the Dana Biosphere Reserve to the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve: heritage, conservation, Vision 2030, the Hashemite centenary, youth engagement, eco-tourism and scientific capacity across both kingdoms.
Landscapes along the Nabataean route, from Petra's carved sandstone to the open night sky of Wadi Rum.
How does life persist at the biological limits of heat and drought? Extremophile microbiology across rock, sand and ancient water systems.
How did the Nabataeans move water, goods and people across this corridor? Heritage science and route reconstruction with remote sensing, AI and drone survey.
How does the human body adapt to sustained desert operations? Heat adaptation, hydration and field physiology on a moving expedition.
What can desert fieldwork teach us about exploring other planets? Space analogue science linking austere desert operations to planetary mission design.
Extremophile research at the biological limits of heat, salinity and drought.
Biodiversity monitoring across a rarely-surveyed hyper-arid transect.
Landscape evolution along the harrat lava fields and sandstone canyons.
Nabataean route reconstruction, water engineering and settlement analysis.
Mapping and drone-supported survey feeding open scientific datasets.
Heat adaptation and field physiology measured throughout the traverse.
Desert operations coordinated with the NASA Astronaut Office, with testbed potential for Saudi Space Agency research.
Live school engagement and classroom link-ups from the field.
Daily field science updates and Q&As streamed to schools in Saudi Arabia, Jordan and worldwide.
Saudi and Jordanian students join sampling and survey work, building regional scientific capacity.
Films, VR experiences and exhibitions bringing the Nabataean world to new generations.