Saud Al-Eidi and Mona Shahab became the fourth and fifth Saudis to reach the summit of the Everest and raise the flag of their country, after more than two months in the Himalayas accompanied by Arab climbers.
Al-Eidi said that his achievement came after continuous training and work, adding: “Our ambition will not stop and we will continue to work and seek to climb other summits and raise the flag of the Kingdom there; we have now reached the summit after six years of training and planning.”
Shabab, the second Saudi girl to reach the Everest after Raha Moharrak in 2013, climbed the peaks of the world to achieve humanitarian goals, sometimes on behalf of cancer patients and other times for the sake of refugee children and for world peace. She started her first adventure in 2012, climbing the summit of Kilimanjaro for the benefit of cancer patients.
“I was walking in straight lines and looking down so as not to feel dizzy because when I look up my eyes are affected by the reflection of light on the snow. The slogan of cancer patients on my bag gave me strength,” Shahab told Asharq Al-Awsat.
The Saudi girl said she has trained for eight months to reach the Everest summit.
She noted that this adventure’s goal fell within Saudi Vision 2030. “My goal is to reduce obesity and diabetes, and to raise funds to teach Egyptian children living in isolated areas and villages far from education centers,” she said.
She pointed out that the current year has witnessed the highest death toll among climbers, because the Nepalese government gave permits that exceeded the approved numbers.
“The most difficult scene was after I reached the summit, where I saw my guide fall between two mountains and then I saw the helicopter lift his body,” she recounted.
Five Saudis have so far reached the Everest summit: Farouk Al-Zuman in 2008, Prince Bandar bin Khalid in 2012 - the first and fastest to climb the seven summits, Raha Moharrak in 2013, Saud al-Eidi on May 22, 2019, and Mona Shahab on May 23, 2019.
