JEDDAH: British adventurer Alice Morrison is on a remarkable 2,500-km journey through Saudi Arabia, traveling north to south. She recently completed the first phase on foot, exploring the Kingdom’s diverse landscapes while highlighting its rich history and cultural transformation.
A TV presenter and writer, Morrison was the first woman to walk Morocco’s Draa River. She has also cycled from Cairo to Cape Town, ran around Mount Everest and walked across Jordan.
Originally from Edinburgh, she documents her adventures through books, documentaries, her “Alice in Wanderland” podcast, and is now filming the BBC show “Arabian Adventures: The Secrets of the Nabateans.”
In an interview with Arab News, Morrison, 61, discussed her recent journey in Saudi Arabia, which ended on Feb. 14 just before Ramadan, after completing the first section of her 2,500-km trek.
The trek, split into two phases, is expected to take five months.
Accompanied by camels Jusy and Lulu, as well as local guides, Morrison began the first phase on Jan. 1, covering 930 km, averaging 23 km or 33,000 steps daily.
Morrison said she has been working on the project for decades and was determined to make her dream come true.
The second phase will start in Madinah in October this year and finish near Najran, on the Yemen border, in December.
Morrison said: “When I was 11, my father gave me a copy of Wilfred Thesiger’s ‘Arabian Sands,’ about an Englishman crossing the Empty Quarter with his Bedouin companions. It fired my imagination. I later studied Arabic, and when Saudi opened up to non-Hajj tourism, I began planning the journey.
“I have always wanted to explore Saudi Arabia since studying Arabic at university, but I was initially hesitant because it was an unknown to me,” she added.
Asked about her impression of Saudi Arabia, she said: “I thought the people would be strict and serious. In fact, I found a people who love to laugh, joke and enjoy life — some of the most hospitable folk on the planet.”
Morrison split her trek into two phases due to Saudi Arabia’s intense heat and the holy month of Ramadan.
“Yes, I will be back in October to complete the expedition and walk to the Yemen border. It will be 1,300 km and take about 70 days. I can’t wait,” she said.
“The country is so rich in history. We have discovered Bronze Age tombs, 4,000-year-old rock carvings, and mechanical treasures from the old Hejaz railway, now named for the provinces it passes through. I can’t wait for phase two — though my feet can.”
Speaking about the highlights of her journey, Morrison said: “Exploring AlUla was a big highlight. It is rich in history, with the Nabatean and Dadanite kingdoms. I was lucky to be shown around by distinguished archeologist Wissam Khalil, who kept finding new artifacts under our feet. I also saw a wild Arabian oryx in the Sharaan Nature Reserve. It was thrilling to see an animal once extinct thriving again.”
Morrison also met Saudi women along the way, including walking with the country’s first female wildlife rangers in Wadi Al-Disah, part of the Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Royal Reserve.
Speaking about the challenges, she said: “I had bad blisters and was in a lot of pain, but I just took painkillers and kept going. Our camels bolted, and Lulu injured herself, so we had to find a solution. We found a camel herder and a vet, bought her food, and now she is recovering on the farm.
“We also walked through a terrible sandstorm that scoured my skin and filled me with despair, but Shaya Al-Shaya, the guide who walked with me, and I, encouraged each other and finished.”
On her route, Morrison, a fluent Arabic speaker, has been warmly hosted by many locals. “I have to mention the hospitality. Everywhere we went, people tried to help us and wanted to know all about the expedition. We had so many sheep slaughtered for us. I am grateful to every single kind person who looked after us, fed us and welcomed us.
“Things are really changing in Saudi Arabia now — very rapidly. For me, it is an interesting time to come, talk to young women, and see what their dreams and hopes are.”
