The Saudi desert does not whisper. It speaks in a language older than words. It speaks through the silence that falls when the sun surrenders to the horizon, through the warmth of ancient sand still holding the heat of the day, and through a sky so vast and star-filled it feels as though the universe has pulled back its curtain just for those beneath it.
It was under these very stars, the same stars that guided frankincense caravans across Arabia for millennia, that British explorer Rosie Stancer and her all-female team made their camp each night along the legendary Incense Route. Exhausted, exhilarated, and transformed, they lay beneath a canopy that no city light could ever replicate, in the heart of one of the world’s most magnificent and untouched wildernesses.
This was not simply an expedition. It was a conversation with history, written one footstep at a time.
Stretching over 2,000 kilometres across the breathtaking landscape of Saudi Arabia, the Incense Route is one of the ancient world’s most celebrated corridors. A network of trade paths that once carried frankincense, myrrh, and the cultural exchange of civilizations between the Arabian Peninsula and the Mediterranean, the route was traversed by merchants, explorers, and wanderers for thousands of years.
Today, it stands as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most evocative trails on the planet.
Rosie Stancer, one of Britain’s most accomplished polar and endurance explorers, chose this extraordinary route as the setting for her most ambitious expedition to date. Leading an all-female team, she completed a full crossing of the Incense Route on foot, covering up to 30 kilometres each day through soaring temperatures, shifting sands, and terrain that tested every limit of human endurance.
Ford MYNM: Power Behind the Journey
No great expedition is undertaken alone, and this one was no exception.
Ford MYNM proudly supported Rosie Stancer and her team throughout the crossing with the All-New Ford Expedition, a vehicle built for exactly the kind of uncompromising conditions the Saudi desert demands.
Across remote desert tracks, vast open plains, and isolated stretches where no infrastructure exists, the All-New Ford Expedition served as the team’s mobile base of operations, supply vehicle, and, on the most demanding days, their lifeline.
Rosie Stancer said:
“Having the All-New Ford Expedition as our support vehicle was not a luxury. It was a necessity. The Saudi desert is extraordinary, but it is relentless. The vehicle handled everything the terrain threw at it, and Ford MYNM’s support gave us the confidence to push further, knowing we had the capability behind us to do so safely.”
The All-New Ford Expedition’s performance across Saudi terrain, including its power, reliability, and adaptability in extreme heat and challenging off-road conditions, made it the natural partner for an expedition of this magnitude. The journey reaffirmed Ford MYNM’s commitment to supporting Saudi Arabia’s spirit of adventure and exploration.
Saudi Arabia Through an Explorer’s Eyes
For Rosie and her team, the journey was as much a human experience as a physical one.
Welcomed with extraordinary warmth by local communities along the route, the team encountered a side of Saudi Arabia that few outsiders ever witness. They discovered a nation that is generous, proud, deeply rooted in its heritage, and energized by a vision for the future.
Rosie reflected:
“You cannot walk a country and remain unchanged by it. Saudi Arabia is layered in ways that no headline or photograph can capture. I came as an explorer. I left as an ambassador because I cannot stop telling people about what I found here.”
The all-female composition of the expedition carried significance that was not lost on those who followed the journey. In a country embracing a new and dynamic chapter for women, the image of a female-led team crossing the Saudi desert, celebrated and supported every step of the way, stood as a powerful and enduring symbol.
The Incense Route Lives On
The conclusion of this expedition marks not only a personal triumph for Rosie Stancer and her team but also a milestone in Saudi Arabia’s growing prominence as a destination for world-class adventure, heritage tourism, and cultural discovery.
The Incense Route, once the artery of an ancient world, has once again been brought to life. This time, it was through the footsteps of a team of extraordinary women and the wheels of the All-New Ford Expedition.
Their journey stands as a reminder that while the route’s traders and travelers may belong to history, the spirit of exploration that defined it remains very much alive.
