Pioneer, adventurer, peace builder and seeker, Princess Abeer bint Saud bin Farhan Al Saud makes a historic expedition to Antarctica. From the great south, she writes why the continent is crucial to us all
Photo: Future Bedouin
“I am writing this letter to the readers of Vogue Arabia from the southernmost post office in the world, on Goudier Island (64.8255° S, 63.4998° W), in the West Antarctic Peninsula while surrounded by 600 nesting gentoo penguins. Here, from Antarctica, while gazing out of the windows of the red and black post office/museum hut named Bransfield House, there is no sound. The silence is only broken by the wind and the reassuring crunching of snow under one’s feet. This is the beauty of Antarctica, a land where humans have conducted much more research than war. Here, it would not only be impractical to fight a battle, but illegal as well. That is thanks to the Antarctic Treaty System. First passed in 1959, and since approved by 56 different parties, the agreement ensures that in one place on Earth, there will be no conflict. It is sometimes hard to find silver linings in today’s conflicted world, but this is certainly one. If nothing else, this tells me that when we put our minds to it, we humans really can adopt a long-term and collaborative perspective.
Joyously, I have always found myself drawn south: south in the Arabian Peninsula; south in Indochina, living in Phu Quoc; then south to Ushuaia, the place known as ‘the end of the world.’ As well, I have ventured south intellectually, looking in each of these places for peace and inspiration, for ways to serve and help.
I’m part of an expedition to the continent with explorers and experts from all over the globe. Among us are astronomers, oceanographers, glaciologists, mathematicians, marine biologists, and renewable energy engineers. I am an expert in peace and sustainability, here to listen to nature, explore global challenges up close, and understand how Antarctica, our most peaceful continent, plays a crucial role in our global society and how it will remain crucial to our survival as well. Our group is collaborating on multiple projects, combining science, art, policy, and advocacy, preparing our messages and findings for COP, the United Nations, and other organizations.
Abeer carrying the flag of Saudi Arabia in Orne Harbour (mainland). Photo: Debatri Chattopadhyay
Antarctica has provided me with an opportunity to learn, too. I am a different person today than I was five weeks ago when I first set out on this journey. This is the same feeling I have every time I explore the equally vast desert landscapes of the Arabian Peninsula. Such silent, boundless expanses invite you – compel you – to become more introspective, reflective, and somehow wiser. While the fiery desert is more familiar to me than freezing Antarctica, both are extreme environments, as well as great teachers of life. As Wilfred Thesiger once said, ‘The harder the life, the finer the person.’
When one sees the growth and the enlightenment that are out there, just waiting, the rush becomes too alluring to forget. It is similar to the rush of riding on camelback in Arabia for the first time. The bumps and the sways have their own special charm. In time, camels become another integral part of the whole experience. In the Empty Quarter, the resilient camel is a symbol of life marching onward. In Antarctica, it is the penguins who become that very same symbol – persistent, heroic, and without fear. To see these animals in their natural habitat, one knows that there is no fighting nature. There is no resisting the forces that God has put on this planet. Rather, one can only live with the Almighty’s grace, surviving as that greatest intelligence will allow.
The desert pushes us to our limits, just as the ice does. Extreme heat and extreme cold test us to see how much we can tolerate and what we will do to survive. What I have learned as a desert and polar explorer among people who must dig deep to survive in these unforgiving conditions, is a kindness most supreme, an enthusiastic will to help, to care for others, to act as a friend, and to show hospitality of the most spectacular sort. This journey has changed me, and I say without hesitation: I am happy and all the better for it.
Abeer in Turaif Disctict, a UNESCO site and the place of her origin. Photo: Hayat Osama by Custom Made Leica
Looking up at the sky frequently, and noting the directions that I was facing, I named my expedition to Antarctica ‘In Search of Octantis,’ which is a constellation (alongside the Southern Cross) that is visible only in the South Pole, equivalent to the Northern Stars. I will draw on my roots as a woman from the desert and sailor, looking to the heavens to guide me. The Southern Cross has led me to many answers (and many more questions), just like the North Star has led wanderers through the desert for countless generations. I think also of my ancestors, who in the desert on the other side of the planet never got to gaze upon the sky of the South Pole for guidance as I do now.
This is a momentous occasion: the first time a Saudi and MENA regional expert has made the longest expedition to the most remote areas to Antarctica in history —and it will surely not be the last. My first thoughts following this sublime experience is that humans are social creatures. Being accessible can be a good thing, as we are unable to function alone. It is also important to be able to disconnect and strengthen one’s mental resilience. Sure, we are all part of the same continent, but the potential wealth of being an island for yourself is something you carry around with you all the time.
I hope you will join me in returning to the Antarctic Treaty System of 1959, refusing to destroy nature any further. This involves committing to practices that reduce our environmental footprint, protect natural habitats, and respect biodiversity. By fostering a deep understanding and appreciation of the natural world, we can create a global community dedicated to the stewardship of our planet. This truth applies to all aspects of life, including fashion, which can serve as an example of radical change on behalf of the environment.
Photo: Future Bedouin
I did not experience only beauty on my expedition, but the opposite too. I saw landfills and waste in Chile, a neighboring country to the Antarctic. I also listened to people’s deep concerns about what we were doing to put these landscapes at risk. To address the challenges posed by the environment, we must also think about the fashion industry’s impact on climate and human trafficking, our action plan must include advocacy for sustainable production methods, ethical labor practices, and a reduction in waste. The intersection between human trafficking and climate change, particularly within the context of the fashion industry, is a complex and increasingly pertinent issue.
I observed during one trip to Chile the waste of the fashion industry. I saw the largest landfill of fast fashion in the Chilean desert, which can also be seen from space. Like the scourge of human trafficking, it is untenable in a just society. Just as we have signed the Antarctic Treaty System, the Outer Space Treaty, the Artemis Accord, the Svalbard Treaty, and other treaties, we can come to agreements on the nexus between climate and human trafficking in the fashion industry and limits in industry on behalf of the climate. We can work together for a better world.
Witnessing and experiencing the majesty of nature’s fury, as well as the spoiled landfills in Chile post my Antarctic expedition, the challenges that people are living through and the risk that we are posing to our beautiful planet, is the art of humble exploration. I think it requires so much mental agility, gentle wisdom, and humor to overcome any storm, rogue waves, or hardship in your life. I spent around two months sailing in the subantarctic and the Antarctic and went through some turbulent sea while crossing the Drake passage on the way to Antarctica, however, I must admit, it was worth every moment. My soul feels uplifted, my mind feels opened, and as I look out past the horizon, I have a greater sense than ever of my mission on this planet – to do good, to be good, to help. Although I realize it is an unrealistic expectation for others to see Antarctica or ride through the desert on camelback themselves, I return from this journey even more determined to inspire collective action to make a peace pact with nature, on behalf of all people and the planet we call home.
Originally published in the March 2024 issue of Vogue Arabia
