Mark Evans MBE is the founder and executive director of Outward Bound Oman, the first Outward Bound school established in the Arabic speaking world. Mark has lived in Arabia for more than 24 years. A teacher for 20 years, in 2005 Mark was cited by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth as a Pioneer of the Nation for his work in outdoor education, and in 2012 was awarded the MBE for his work in using challenging outdoor journeys as a vehicle for intercultural dialogue. Mark is an International Fellow of The Explorers Club of New York, and The Royal Geographical Society in London. He is an Honorary Fellow of The Royal Scottish Geographical Society. 40 years of expeditions include a 24 - day parachute assisted crossing of the Greenland Ice Cap, and a solo 55-day kayak journey along the coastline of Oman. In 2001 Mark led a team of young people on a year-long overwintering expedition to the arctic island of Svalbard, living in small tents during 4 months of total darkness in temperatures that fell to minus 37 degrees Celsius, and in 2016 Mark became the first European in 85 years to retrace the first crossing of the largest sand desert on earth-the Empty Quarter-a journey of 49 days on foot and by camel. Due to start September 2022, his next expedition will the best yet ….