The Birth of a Prince

A sudden, magnificent desert storm broke over Qasr Al-Sultan in the early hours of an autumn morning. Violent, dry lightning illuminated the towering red dunes of the Rub' al Khali in forks of violet and silver, followed by the deep, earth-shaking rumble of desert thunder echoing off the limestone cliffs. The wind whipped across the Persian Gulf, driving the scent of rain and ozone through the carved marble arches of…