Prime Highlights
- Fatima Al Awadhi became the first and youngest Arab to reach the summit of Mount Vinson in Antarctica.
- Al Awadhi dedicated her achievement to President Sheikh Mohamed and Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak for their support of Emirati youth.
Key Facts
- The Seven Summits challenge involves climbing the highest mountain on each of the world’s seven continents.
- Al Awadhi endured temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius below zero during the Antarctic expedition.
Background
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President, has met with Emirati mountaineer Fatima Abdulrahman Al Awadhi, who made history by becoming the youngest Arab woman to climb Mount Vinson, the highest peak in Antarctica.
Al Awadhi, 18, reached the 4,892-metre summit earlier this year, becoming the first and youngest Arab to conquer the continent’s highest peak. She also holds the distinction of being the youngest Emirati to scale Mount Elbrus, Europe’s highest mountain.
This success comes as part of three consecutive attempts that Al Awadhi has made to fulfill the Seven Summits Challenge, which entails scaling the highest mountain peak in each of the seven continents in the world.
Al Awadhi undertook the journey into what is considered among the toughest climates around the planet, a climate characterized by temperatures falling more than 40 degrees centigrade below zero, strong winds, and bad weather conditions. These factors require extreme physical strength and preparation.
All of these successes were credited to the country’s president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, and Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, who is known as the mother of the nation and Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, in appreciation of their efforts in encouraging young Emiratis and women.
