The DIRIYAH: The Heart of Arabia campaign is set to launch the Philby Arabia Fund, an initiative in collaboration with the Saudi British Society, which will present an award to a researcher, creative or historian working to study and promote further understanding of the kingdom. Will demand
The award honors British Arabist, explorer and writer Harry St John Bridger Philby, who converted to Islam and took the name Abdullah. He launched an information-gathering campaign in 1917 in what is now modern Saudi Arabia.
The two-part 1,300-kilometre journey is now being commemorated by the Heart of Arabia initiative, which aims to loosely follow Philby’s route.
A portrait of British explorer and documentarian Harry St John Philby, dressed in traditional Saudi clothing.
The fund seeks to extend the legacy of the traveler and is overseen by the Saudi British Society. It was founded by the executive director of Outward Bound Oman Mark Evans, president of the society, former UK ambassador to the Kingdom Sir William Peete, and Philby’s direct descendant Mike Engelbach.
Engelbach said, “It was fantastic that we got the support and that the Saudi British Society was so quick to receive it.”
The society is a non-profit organization dedicated to maintaining the long-standing ties between the two states, and has been a major supporter of the Heart of Arabia campaign, named after Philby’s book published in 1922 Was.
FastFact
• The current Philby-inspired campaign completed its first phase in Riyadh in November, with 2,500 downloads of its podcast in 52 countries and significant site traffic.
• The group will start the next leg of the journey along the west coast on January 16. The team includes Evans with Swiss photographer Anna-Maria Pavlache, regional expert Alan Morrissey and Philby’s granddaughter, explorer Reem Philby.
• The fund encourages the study of all aspects of Saudi geography, topography, geology, wildlife and culture, as Philby did, or a new field entirely.
“[The fund]is meant to support anyone who adds to our knowledge and understanding of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, especially things that fill these areas of interest,” campaign leader Evans told Arab. attached to.” news.
open to all kinds of studies
The fund encourages the study of all aspects of Saudi geography, topography, geology, wildlife and culture, as Philby did, or a new area entirely.
The goal of the award is two-fold: The first is to highlight Abdullah Philby, a unique individual who played a significant role in the development of the state.
The second is to challenge some of the stereotypes foreigners have about Saudi Arabia.
While the Fund has not yet outlined key roles and logistics, applicants must apply with an overview of their objectives and budget. The board of trustees of the society will shortlist and then select a winner.
The winner will be required to provide a report of the field research with digital photos to support the findings and results.
“I was lucky enough to live in Riyadh for four years in the 1990s. So I know how beautiful Saudi Arabia is and how hospitable the people are. People in the West are driven by headlines and don’t really see beyond (them), Evans said.
The fund will not only highlight the diversity and culture within the region, but also the nuances of the changing region since Philby’s journey in an effort to inspire youth globally.
Philby’s Objectives
“Philby was incredibly good at traveling or traveling with a purpose. He didn’t do it for him. It wasn’t just a race to get from A to B, to cross it or be the first person to do it,” Evans explained. .
The explorer regularly visited London, where he presented his findings to the Royal Geographical Society. As a meticulous documentarian, he would relay details of his travels that supported the early mapping of Central Arabia, making him an important figure in archiving the history of the region.
“Whatever he saw in the field, whatever he heard, smelled, touched; All the while he was using his senses to describe a landscape that no one else outside Arabia had ever seen,” Evans said.
The current Philby-inspired campaign completed its first phase in Riyadh in November, with 2,500 downloads of its podcasts in 52 countries and considerable site traffic.
“The plan was to build that platform of interest on the first phase so we can really go into phase two to use that platform to raise awareness about the Philby Arab Fund, in the hope that we can get one or two individuals Some serious donations to set up that fund,” Evans said.
The group will start the next leg of the journey along the west coast on January 16. The team includes Evans with Swiss photographer Anna-Maria Pavlache, regional expert Alan Morrissey and Philby’s granddaughter, explorer Reem Philby. They will be escorted off by Princess Anne.
“There’s really nothing at the moment that I’m aware of that is funding research or projects like our Heart of Arabia, which increases our understanding of deserts, but in particular, Saudi Arabia About too.
Evans said, “It (the fund) is something very unique that people can apply for, which Philby was great at, which was enlightening all of us and helped us understand more about this beautiful country.” Was doing.”
Ibn Saud’s friendship
Philby’s legendary legacy began 105 years earlier, when he traveled through the Empty Quarter in 1917 on a political mission to meet Ibn Saud, the ruling chief of the region at the time, the results of which led him to become the founder of the Royal Geographical Society. Was awarded a medal. ,
The investigator was charmed by the ruler’s charisma and personality, and was answered with the same intrigue, a friendship that lasted 36 years. Philby frequently attended council meetings, conducted business and documented Riyadh. Even a century ago, ties between Saudi and Britain were strong.
“He saw things in black and white, and that’s where he and Ibn Saud were a good match, because Ibn Saud could also see shades of gray,” Engelbach said.
On his deathbed in 1960, the director of the Royal Geographical Society, Lawrence Kirwan, characterized Philby as “one of its most distinguished explorers”.
His strength shone brightest during long and often lonely desert journeys, focusing his skill and knowledge on harvesting the cultural treasures held within the region that contributed to unprecedented findings about Arabia and the Third Saudi Kingdom.
Engelbach said, “He was never happier than out in the desert with, as he puts it, his Arabs, guides and his retainers.”
His later years involved speaking with young people about their exodus and the importance of his work, often sharing his thoughts and experiences with the Arab world.
“He liked the company of young people most of all … He was pro-Arab … everything was inspired by the idea that Arab countries should have the right to self-determination. Engelbach said, “From the beauty of the landscape of Arabia He was amazed.”