Mark has lived in, worked and explored the Middle East for twenty years. As a result, his network of expert contacts and his knowledge of locations is extensive, and unique. He has travelled throughout the Rub Al Khali and Nafud deserts in Saudi Arabia, from the borders of Iraq to the borders of Jordan and Yemen, and the Rub Al Khali and Sharqiya deserts in Oman extensively on foot, by camel and Land Rover, including extended expeditions of eighty, forty nine and twenty eight days. A solo, 1,700 km 55 day kayak journey from Musandam in northern Oman, to the border with Yemen, give him an intimate and unrivalled knowledge of the coastline of Oman, enabling him to act as an advisor and consultant to numerous expedition and TV research teams visiting the Sultanate.

In his current day job as Executive Director of Outward Bound in Oman, the only Outward Bound school in an Arabic speaking nation, Mark oversees the logistics and safety of more than 100 multi-day courses each year that take place in the desert and mountains of Oman, and is currently involved in overseeing the construction of two national training and environmental research centres in Oman.

This extensive experience, contact network, risk management, logistical experience and detailed knowledge of historical exploration of the Arabian desert, combined with Mark’s strong communication skills as a speaker make him the ideal guide and consultant for expeditions to Oman and Saudi Arabia.