When it comes to adventure sports, you might be surprised to hear women from the Arab world are making waves. The next generation of thrill-seekers might take inspiration from Raha Moharrak, both the first Saudi woman and the youngest Arab woman to climb the world’s highest mountain, Mount Everest. Here’s what you need to know about the 34-year-old trailblazer.
She was educated in the UAE
Moharrak went to the American University of Sharjah, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in visual communication. After this, she joined an advertising agency and is now completing her MBA from Synergy University Dubai, with a focus on women’s leadership. She today calls Dubai her home and remains a graphic designer by profession, currently employed as an art director at Upndo.
Meet Reema Juffali, Saudi Arabia’s first female racing car driver
Her life changed for good
Moharrak realised that her goal in life was to conquer ever more challenging peaks after she climbed Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro in 2011 – offering a sense of freedom and accomplishment which she credits with inspiring her to climb eight more mountains.
She quickly went on to climb eight more fabled summits, including Mount Vinson in Antarctica, Mount Elbrus in Southern Russia, Mount Kosciusko in Australia, Aconcagua in South America, Kala Patthar in Nepal, and Pico de Orizaba and Ixtacihuatl in Mexico.
However the biggest moment in her life came when she successfully reached the top of Mount Everest on May 18, 2013.
Who’s in the first all-female supercar club in the Middle East?
Since that peak she’s kept her appetite for thrill-seeking topped up with various adventures, and in December last year took a microlight flight overlooking the Victoria Falls and the Zambezi River. Moharrak is also a good surfer and loves to do canopy walking whenever she finds herself in the middle of a dense forest.
Face of global brands
Moharrak’s mountaineering achievement made her an attractive ambassador for famous brands like Burberry and Tag Heuer – becoming the first Arab female to represent the Swiss watch manufacturer, joining a club which includes Cristiano Ronaldo, Bella Hadid and Chris Hemsworth. Other sponsorship deals include Burberry and Adidas, which featured her in one of its campaigns aimed at promoting female empowerment in the Middle East.Before and after braces: 7 celebs who fixed their teeth the hard way
Motivational guru
She has given motivational speeches on numerous occasions across the region. In 2015, she was invited by RCSI Bahrain to share her story of success.
As part of this, she talked about her experience as a mountain climber on Talks at Google in 2018. Today, she is using her exposure to talk openly about women’s rights in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the rest of the world.
Want more stories like this? Sign up here. Follow STYLE on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter .
