The first ever Russian-Arab camel expedition led by Fedor Konyukhov ended in the UAE. The caravan journey "Across the Seven Emirates" started on January 27 in the city of Al Ain (Emirate of Abu Dhabi). In two weeks, the travelers crossed the whole country and completed their journey in the town of Al Saadi (Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah).
The expedition was supported by the Russian Geographical Society, the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, and the Department for Tourism Development of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah. The project aims to highlight the high level of humanitarian bilateral cooperation between Russia and the United Arab Emirates. Sheikh Sultan bin Ali bin Saif Al Khateri greeted the expedition at the finish line in Al Saadi.
The caravan consisted of 10 camels, on which five Russians and the same number of representatives of the UAE set off. The Russian team included Fedor Konyukhov, Ivan Molchanov, Oscar Konyukhov, Pavel Bogachev, and Yakov Orlov. The receiving party in the UAE consisted of Salim Juma Ali and Maria Skorobogatko, owners of a camel farm and experienced travelers.
On average, the participants of the project "Across the Seven Emirates" traveled about 30-40 km a day, then stopped for the night, setting up a tent camp. At night, the temperature in the desert dropped to +8 ° C, and during the day it stayed at +30 ° C.
65c3a29061c97acec25363059324ed232.jpg
“My last caravan expedition was in Ethiopia, and I am very glad to return to the desert again, to touch the traditions and customs of the inhabitants of these places,” said Fedor Konyukhov. “Camel travel is a journey through time. Majestic sand dunes, dry desert wind, endless starry sky – all this brings up thoughts of eternity. I take with me new impressions, sketches for future paintings, and plans for a large expedition across the Arabian Peninsula.”
We are talking about a longtime idea of Fedor Konyukhov: a large-scale expedition, during which the famous traveler and honorary member of the Russian Geographical Society plans to cross the Arabian Peninsula from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea across Saudi Arabia. The current journey has become a kind of training stage for the future expedition.
65c3a2991e2da0edd8944d6642c70efa1.jpg
Fedor Konyukhov has extensive experience in organizing caravan expeditions. In 2002, an expedition "Following the Great Silk Road" was carried out with the then head of the Republic of Kalmykia Kirsan Ilyumzhinov. Seven years later, a successful international expedition was conducted across Mongolia from east to west. A caravan expedition across Ethiopia took place in 2011, during which it was possible to cross the Danakil Desert, one of the hottest places on earth. The caravan traveled 1,200 km in 40 days.
It is curious that the idea of the current expedition in the hot Arabian sands originated in completely different latitudes: on board an expedition ship in Antarctica. It was there in 2021 that Fedor Konyukhov met a Primorye entrepreneur and amateur traveler Ivan Molchanov. The like-minded people agreed to organize two expeditions: across the Arabian Desert on camels and in the Primorye Territory on horseback along one of the routes of the pioneer researcher, geographer Vladimir Arsenyev.
65c3a27df33be4cfde7f558bac24b90a1.jpg
