On Top of the World: First Saudi Woman to Climb Mount Everest

Raha Moharrak, a 27 year old Graphic Designer, has made history by becoming the first Saudi Arabian woman to reach the world’s highest peak.

Raha Moharrak is also a part of a group called Arab Mountaineers, calling themselves “Arabs with Attitude.” According to Nepal’s mountaineering department, 35 foreigners along with 29 Nepalese Sherpa climbed Everest. The group included the first Qatari man and the first Palestinian man attempting to scale the mountain.

The team isn’t only making history; they’re also making a difference. They’re trying to raise $1 million for educational projects in Nepal. A donate button can be found on their website. This is a cause near and dear to Moharrak’s heart.

Coming from Saudi Arabia, a conservative Muslim country where women’s rights are very restricted, she had to break a lot of barriers to achieve her goal. This is a cause near and dear to Moharrak’s heart.

“I really don’t care about being the first, so long as it inspires someone else to be the second,” Moharrak is quoted as saying on the expedition’s website, Arabs on Top of the World.

With Everest, she had achieved her ambition of climbing the seven highest peaks in the world after having climbed mountains in Europe, Tanzania, the South Pole and Argentina.

According to Raha Moharrak’s biography on the site, she said that convincing her family to let her climb was as great as the mountain itself. Though they now fully support her efforts.

Check out BBC interview with her parents on the matter: –