Oman's first female Everest climber Nadira Al Harathi flanked by Nepal's Ambassador to Oman and his wife.
By Vinod Raghavan*
Muscat: The picturesque Himalayan nation – Nepal – celebrated ‘Mount Everest Day’ popularly known as Sagarmatha Day at the spacious Nepal embassy bordering the Arabian Sea in Al Khuwar, Muscat, by felicitating the first woman from Oman, to climb Mount Everest Nadira Al Harathi and her fellow mountaineer Sulaiman Hamoud Mahfodh Al Naabi. Both were felicitated by Nepal’s Ambassador Dornath Aryal and his wife Swodesh Aryal, in a traditional Nepali culture by offering a medal and pashmina shawl for their outstanding achievements.
As the Nepal embassy observed Sagarmatha Day in Oman, the yearly event of celebrating Mount Everest brings back the memory of culture and traditions with sumptuous Nepali cuisine in the desert.
The evening of May 29th was celebrated with selected distinguished guests from various fields viz. business tycoons, CEOs, media personalities, airline and bank officials, including Ajit Khimji with his wife, Aftab Patel of Al Omaniya Finances, media personality Anirban Ray with his better half and also Fathiya Al Jadzali who says she has been mesmerized by Nepal’s beauty and adventure trekking on mountains.
Nadira, an ambitious young woman with an overwhelming adventurous spirit, became the first Omani woman to scale Mt Everest, the tallest peak in the world in the Himalayas, on May 23, 2019. The day became a red letter day in the history of Oman wherein women’s achievements reached an outstanding zenith. On the occasion of Mt Everest day, she briefed about her journey of scaling the mighty Sagarmatha on the occasion.
Nadira had started in early April 2019, along with three other Arab women, and their entire journey was filmed and documented by Canadian adventurer and filmmaker Elia Saikaly who had scaled Everest in the recent past. She was inspired to take up this challenge by Late Khalid al Siyabi, the first Omani to climb Mount Everest in 2010, and underwent rigorous training for over two years before venturing out for her mission.
Being an ultra athlete herself, who has undertaken the 42km Muscat Marathon twice, as well as the 90km Oman UTMB race, she was equipped with what it takes for a challenging expedition to Mt Everest. When she had set out to climb Mt Everest, being the first woman from Oman to do so did not matter at all to her. What mattered was accomplishing the task at hand against all odds.
“It’s good to have a dream and set a difficult goal before oneself. One needs to build up strength and passion to take on challenges and be successful. It helps in adding some adventure to one’s routine lifestyle, besides improving one’s personality and moving onto another level in life,” Nadira told Global Bihari.
On the occasion, a brief presentation on beautiful Nepal and its business opportunities was showcased to explore the opportunities of tourism, export, trade and investment.
Addressing the guests, Ambassador Dornath Aryal outlined the policies of the government of Nepal to promote the export of Nepali products and also to attract foreign investment in various ongoing mega projects.
Ambassador Aryal highlighted the multi-faceted tourism activities in Nepal that cater to the needs of all age group individuals, ranging from cultural and religious tourism to high-adrenaline sports and adventure activities to natural and serene experiences.
Ambassador Aryal requested the guests to visit Nepal and experience the breathtaking nature and also look for opportunities in trade and Investment while considering the strategic location of Nepal and lucrative policies. Ambassador Aryal informed the guests of the successful completion of the Nepal Investment Summit 2024 and its achievements. He also informed that Nepal showcased 152 ready-to-go projects and that more than 2400 participants including 800 international participants from 50 countries took part in the Summit.
Bishesh Kumar Sah, Second Secretary of the Embassy conducted the programme, while the traditional Nepali food was prepared and served by the Embassy staff members headed by Anil and Anita and overall supervised by Swodesh Aryal, to the guests.
*Senior journalist
