In the Footsteps of Thesiger follows the incredible journeys made in 1940s by explorer Sir Wilfred Thesiger through the famously scorching Empty Quarter in the Arabian Peninsula.

Twofour teamed up with international explorer Adrian Hayes, Abu Dhabi Media and Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage to create the documentary film, which is the first broadcast commission for Twofour Arabia, Twofour’s UAE based subsidiary.

British explorer, Adrian Hayes, along with Emiratis Saeed Rashid Al Mesafri and Ghafan Mohammed Al Jabri, braves the world’s largest sand desert, using the same method of navigating as Thesiger, relying on a handheld compass and time travelled. The group authentically recreate Thesiger’s trek, wearing traditional Arabic clothing, riding and walking with their camels for up to 12 hours every day for 44 days, the region’s famous Bedu hospitality occasionally supplementing a modest diet of dates, rice, flour and water.

The epic journey begins in lush tropical vegetation and continues a gruelling 1,600 km through the dry wadis and high dunes of The Empty Quarter to end as Thesiger did in Abu Dhabi.

With drama and genuine hardship and unveiling an unforgettable historical legacy, in this adventurous expedition the men face exhausting and arduous days under the constant Arabian sun, with temperatures hitting 45 degrees Celsius in the heat of the day.

Alexis Girardet, who produced, directed and filmed the series, said: “The opportunity to become part of this great expedition was a real gift. Who gets to cross the Empty Quarter following in the footsteps of such an iconic and loved explorer as Thesiger.

“It was an epic place to be and that is what we tried to capture. Hopefully the audience will get a sense of that, but also a sense of the personal journey for Adrian and the team and also the echoes of history that pervade every part of this unique place.”

The hour long documentary will air in Arabic on the 1^st April on Abu Dhabi Media’s Al Emarat channel.