British explorer to walk the length of Saudi Arabia
Rosie Stancer to cover 2,000km from south to north over 3 months
To learn from Kingdom’s sustainable practices, she tells Arab News
Updated 13 November 2025
SALEH FAREED
JEDDAH: British explorer Rosie Stancer and her team are preparing this week to trek across Saudi Arabia from south to north.
The expedition will follow the ancient incense-trading route, about 2,000 km, over three months.
“This expedition aims to further explore the impacts of climate change and how local communities are adapting to these changes. And learn from the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 of building a sustainable future on the foundations of its magnificent heritage,” Stancer told Arab News.
Beginning in Najran — a historic trading crossroads in the far southwest —they will traverse The Empty Quarter and the Nafud deserts, and the Sarawat mountain range.
They will pass through significant cultural centers and heritage sites punctuating the Kingdom’s western flank, including Hima, Bisha, Madinah, Khaybar, AlUla and Tabuk.
The expedition will continue through the under-construction megacity of Neom before reaching ending on the Gulf of Aqaba’s coast.
Stancer said the journey was part of what they call their “Desert Trilogy.”
“Part one of the trilogy and the first expedition (August 2021) was crossing one of the world’s youngest deserts, the Aral Kum (in Central Asia). Part two of the Desert Trilogy was in 2023 crossing the Sinai Peninsula with the Bedouin,” she explained.
“Here we are in Saudi Arabia to kick off our third part. We will follow the ancient incense route through Saudi Arabia.”
The team includes Pom Oliver, Rosie Cecil, Arabella Dorman, Andrea Tennant, Lee Watts and Princess Abeer Al-Saud.
They will be accompanied by camels bearing equipment and supplies, as well as a 2025 Ford Expedition supported by Jeddah’s Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors.
“We’re doing it by foot with camels, because that’s the way the ancient traders did it. And we want to reflect on that ancient tradition,” said Stancer.
She added: “Princess Abeer Al-Saud will be the representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia but she will join us whenever she can.
“So many other people coming in as participatory women and we’re also going to invite other Saudi women from the points we are going through to join our journey.”
She hopes to raise awareness for the work of the Turquoise Mountain Trust, which supports local artisans and their crafts.
Stancer said the objectives of the expedition are to highlight cultural heritage, explore women’s evolving roles, and connect Saudi Arabia and the UK further in terms of trade and partnerships.
They are “celebrating” Saudi Arabia’s cultural heritage and restoration projects that support Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030’s pillars of economic, social, and cultural sustainability.
Stancer is now visiting for the third time. “Saudi Arabia really fascinates me because it celebrates and brings life to its cultural heritage, traditions and customs.
“At the same time, it’s looking ahead to this sustainable future and it’s happening fast.”
Stancer will also be conducting research on the psychological and physical impact of immersion in remote environments for prolonged periods.
LAS VEGAS: They say that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas … Not anymore.
From early 2027, the Wynn hotel group will be opening the Wynn Al Marjan Hotel in the UAE’s Ras Al Khaimah.
While the hotel group has become best known for its casino in the US, the owners want it to be known that the vast proportion of the UAE hotel’s experience will be about family, luxury, immense comfort, and possibly cars.
The casino, while present, will not be anywhere in the hotel where guests have to walk to reach either their room or the many restaurants, shops, and facilities; in fact, the design of the hotel has taken all aspects of privacy and cultural sensitivity into consideration.
Boasting 22 restaurants, the names and cuisines of 22 of which have yet to be announced, an array of pools, and even a separate hotel experience at Enclave for more discerning guests, this hotel promises to offer guests the luxury of Dubai, but in the calm of the northern emirate.
The Delilah restaurant will offer guests a top end supper club, with live music and top class cuisine. (Supplied)
The only two restaurants confirmed so far are a steakhouse by Alain Ducasse and a second outpost of Delilah, the latter a particular favourite supper club with guests at Wynn Las Vegas.
The Wynn group say they are pitching for short stay guests, coming for a long weekend — those planning for a break from the bustle of Dubai and families from further afield who may want to have access to Dubai and its palatial shopping, without being in the middle of the big metropolis.
So, location is everything in the thinking behind this lavish offering; the hotel will be a short, 50-minute journey from Dubai International Airport.
The secluded entrance. (Supplied)
The bathroom. (Supplied)
The suites will have their own living rooms. (Supplied)
Bedrooms will be spacious. (Supplied)
Bedrooms will have sea views looking out over the blue Arabian Gulf. (Supplied)
Enclave, which is being marketed as a “hotel within a hotel,” will offer discretion to guests who are expected to include members of royalty, A-list celebrities and business leaders.
Enclave guests will arrive via a private, guarded entry drive with its own separate lobby.
Guests at this elite hotel will be walked through luxurious surroundings to a private lift that will take them up the resort’s 300 meter tower to one of the 15 suites per floor.
The 313 accommodation units will include six distinct layouts, ranging from Enclave King Suites starting at 75 sqm to two lavish, two-story Royal Apartments measuring 1,500 square meters.
It won’t be long before this happens; construction of the Marjan Island resort is well underway, with the main tower already reaching high above the bustle of the work below.
The construction team is completing one floor per week, working toward a topping off in December 2025.
There will be 1,530 rooms, suites and villas at the resort, as well as a selection of pools. (Supplied)
All this is being made possible by 9,100 construction team members and more than 100 concrete trucks in place on the site per day, according to the hotel’s management.
To get an idea of what people can look forward to, Arab News was given the opportunity to see what’s on offer at the Wynn Las Vegas.
Met by a driver at the airport, we were taken through the busy streets of this iconic city, past the vast Caesar’s Palace hotel, Treasure Island, and the Trump tower, to name just three.
After a short check-in process, guests are guided through the entrance, past high-end luxury shops and restaurants and into the lift lobby, where we took the elevator to the top floor and a short walk to the amply sized room.
As the door opened and the bellboy turned on the lights, the curtains automatically started to open, revealing an awe-inspiring view across the city with a backdrop of the vast mountains and Red Rock.
The Vegas hotel regularly plays host to high-level events, including the recent 2025 Concours d’Elegance, which featured a selection of supercars from Bugatti, McLaren, and Porsche.
The Concours event at Wynn Las Vegas is an example of the kind of top-level events expected to be hosted at Wynn Marjan. (Supplied)
There were also vehicles previously owned by celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe and Steve McQueen. Guests at the event included Apple CEO Tim Cook, “Fast and Furious” actor Sung Kang, and Koenigsegg CEO Christian von Koenigsegg.
And while there’s not yet any sign of the Concours show being held at Marjan Island, Koenigsegg did say he would certainly consider attending if one were to be held.
“The Middle East has always been a key market for us,” he told Arab News. “I’ve always loved coming to the Middle East, and there is a great car passion in the region.
“There’s only so many Concours events we can do per year … We can’t go to everything, but yeah, maybe Dubai’s an opportunity for us.”
The Main lobby. (Supplied)
The luxury begins at the entrance. (Supplied)
There will be a selection of pools. (Supplied)
Walk ways will takes guests around the resort. (Supplied)
If it’s something calmer you want, then the on-site spa offers an array of services, including massages and treatments for the body and mind, and for those who just want to relax, there is a selection of pools.
When the Marjan resort is complete, there really won’t be a reason to leave during your stay: As well as the 22 restaurants, there will also be a 15,000-sq.-meter shopping promenade filled with the world’s top luxury boutiques, a five-star spa, theater, and a salon, among the various attractions on offer.
Even the Wynn resort rooms will offer luxury. (Courtesy of Robert Miller)
Even the Wynn resort rooms will offer luxury. (Courtesy of Robert Miller)
Even the Wynn resort rooms will offer luxury. (Courtesy of Robert Miller)
Even the Wynn resort rooms will offer luxury. (Courtesy of Robert Miller)
Like any resort or hotel, Wynn employs an army of people to ensure your stay is as enjoyable as possible whatever the event.
The Marjan Island resort in the UAE will be equipped to host any event for every occasion, from intimate gatherings and opulent weddings to large-scale social and corporate events.
Situated at the heart of the resort, is the Coral Court - a concept in troduced at the Ras Al Khaimah following the emirate's growing popularity as a destination for weddings and other functions.
The WYnn will play host to events large and small. (Supplied)
There will be an array of facilities. (Supplied)
Ballrooms and picturesque walkways. (Supplied)
The vast ballroom will have no pillars to present any obstructions. (Supplied)
It will be home to a 2,633-square-meter column-free Grand Ballroom, dedicated bride and groom salons, private prayer rooms for men and women, six versatile meeting rooms, and a 1,390-square-meter event lawn overlooking the Arabian Gulf.
“When designing Coral Court, our first instinct was restraint,” Todd-Avery Lenahan, president and chief creative officer of Wynn Design and Development explained.
“We selected a neutral, sun-washed palette that acts as a blank canvas, allowing each celebration to set its own stage. Whether a wedding layered with color, a conference with strong brand identity, or a gala that transforms the room entirely, the design ensures the space never competes with the story our guests want to tell.”
Back at the Wynn Las Vegas we were shown tucked away in the labyrinth of corridors an in-house florist that will cater for any event — and they say they can, and will, get any flower the customer wants - the same will happen in the UAE hotel.
If you’re after chocolates, they have an actual in-house chocolate factory, and they will make models out of the tasty stuff, including cars, guitars and, well, let’s be honest, anything.
And if it is pastries or bread you’re after, then of course there’s a bakery on site as well.
