Dubai: A Dubai-based mother of two has become the first Arab woman to climb Mount Everest, the world's highest mountain towering at 8,848 metres above sea level.
To put it in perspective, Burj Khalifa is a mere 828 metres in height and is the world's tallest man-made tower.
Suzanne Al Houby, 40, reached the peak of Mount Everest at 8.45am on May 21, and became the first Arab woman and Palestinian to conquer the peak.
Originally from Jaffa, Palestine, Suzanne trekked 51 days to scale Mount Everest as part of a four-person team, three of whom successfully reached the summit. Since the world's highest peak was first scaled by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953, about 100 women from across the world have achieved this astonishing feat.
A lifelong mountaineer, Suzanne is no stranger to the record books. In 2003, she became the first Arab woman to reach the Everest Base Camp. She is also the first Arab woman to scale Mount Elbrus, the highest point in Europe, and the first Palestinian woman to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak.
To date, she has successfully reached the summit of the highest mountains on five of the world's seven continents.
"I will never forget the moment when my dream became reality when I saw the prayer flags flapping in the thin air, marking the summit of the greatest mountain on Earth," Suzanne said. "Standing on the summit, I looked left to the mountains of Nepal, then looked right to the mountains of China — all of them far, far below. I raised my hands, thanked God and hugged my climbing partners.
"Becoming the first Arab woman to reach the top of the world was an enormous thrill and a great privilege," she added. "I would like to share this triumph with the Palestinian people and all Arabs — especially all the Arab women, young and old, who continue to contribute to the peace and stability of the region we all call home."
Support
Suzanne, who spent nearly two years preparing for the ascent of Mount Everest, was supported by the Welfare Association, a leading Palestinian non-governmental development organisation dedicated to contributing toward furthering the progress of the Palestinian people by preserving their heritage and identity, supporting their living culture, and building civil society institutions.
She was also given support by Arabtec Construction, a leading construction company in the UAE.
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