Land Rover continues ‘My Journey, My Inspiration’ film series with Omani adventurer, explorer and environmentalist Bader Al Lawati

Premium SUV manufacturer Land Rover has revealed the third instalment of its inspirational ‘My Journey, My Inspiration’ film series with the story of Bader Al Lawati. Nicknamed ‘The Freezing Omani’, Bader’s passion and desire to protect the environment of his homeland inspired him to embark on a challenging and gruelling journey to the freezing Antarctic, a place few Omanis have ever been.

Bader’s film is part of Land Rover’s collaboration with inspirational achievers from across the region to tell their unique and moving stories, including ‘Climb for Cancer’ founder Nizar Fakhoury and social entrepreneur Michael Haddad whose films were recently released.

The achievers, from Oman, Qatar, Lebanon, Kuwait and the UAE, all share one thing in common: inspired by the culture and heritage of the land, they have succeeded in truly going above and beyond in their accomplishments.  The series embodies the sentiment behind Land Rover’s latest MENA creative communications platform: MYLAND.

Bader’s lifelong passion to protect and preserve the environment started as a young boy when he would venture into the beautiful and rugged Omani desert on camping trips and adventures with his family. As he grew up, Badar quickly realised that things needed to change for future generations to be able to enjoy the beauty of the Omani landscape, and he felt compelled to make a difference by getting involved in charity work and events to raise awareness about vital environmental issues.

His work led to him being selected, along with 29 other campaigners worldwide, to be part of an expedition to the Antarctic by ‘2041’; an NGO founded by Robert Swan, the first man in history to walk to both the North and South Poles. The two-week journey was a life-changing experience for Bader and his fellow companions, as it aimed at raising global awareness about climate change and its effect on local communities.

“I feel a huge sense of pride in my heritage and my land, and I wanted the honour of taking the Omani flag to places it had never been before. It will always be in my heart,” said Bader.

The young environmentalist begins his film by describing the first challenges he faced during the preparation stages of his trip to the Antarctic. Gruelling physical training included locking himself in a freezer for 10 minutes at a time before working up to six hour stints.

“This was truly the most amazing journey of my life. I learnt from the experts there, and when I came back, I knew I had to do something bigger than I originally envisaged.  In this part of the world, things have developed so quickly, and our waste has expanded very rapidly. I felt I needed to address the issue of plastic bags, because this is something that has become a worldwide environmental issue which could have a catastrophic effect if we don’t tackle the problem now.”

Once back from his life-changing trip, Bader launched an environmental campaign focusing on reducing the use of plastic bags by working with local supermarkets and distributors.

“My journey is about telling people that one person with an idea can make a difference - you don’t need to wait for an organisation or government to insight positive change. All you need is dedication and inspiration. If I am able to inspire just one person to do something and to make a difference, then my journey has been successful.”

Produced by Emirati film director and friend of the Land Rover brand, Ali Mostafa, and directed by Emirati filmmaker Ahmed Abdulqader, Bader’s film is the third in the ‘My Journey, My Inspiration’ series, which will all be hosted on MYLAND.

Click here to see his inspirational film www.myland.landrover-me.com.