JEDDAH: After years of climbing in the US and Europe, Yasmin Gahtani, who represents herself as the first Saudi certified climbing wall instructor (CWI), is on a mission to bring the sport home.
Empowered by climbing since she started four years ago, 38-year-old Gahtani wants to spread the culture of this sport among women in the Kingdom.
“It is almost non-existent, especially for women,” Gahtani said. “It’s a sport that would be perfect for Saudi Arabia; would be perfect for women. It really empowers you. It makes you stronger … and makes you understand how much you’re capable of doing on your own wall.”
Since she got into climbing, her vacations started to revolve around climbing and mountaineering.
Gahtani shares snippets of her climbing experience on her Instagram account. She tried both indoor and outdoor rock climbing as well as mountaineering. But rock and wall climbing were closer to her heart.
Her followers started getting curious about climbing and showing interest in trying this sport. That is when she became aware of her need to become certified as she believes it is “a big responsibility.”
Chicago is where she went to pursue and gain her CWI certification through the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) in January. The certificate allows her to pass on what she learned and teach others to climb. “This is what I want to do. I want to teach women to climb,” she said.
Gahtani, who is a member of the Saudi Climbing Association, never went to the gym before she embarked on her climbing experience. She said the sport has encouraged her to strengthen her body to be able to give it more. Climbing made her understand who she wanted to be.
“I changed throughout my years in climbing,” she said. “I definitely was someone else, way different from what I am now.”
Gahtani has partnered with Waad Academy in Jeddah where she will start coaching women. When she was studying for her certification, Gahtani learned more about the importance of safety procedures and why each is required and important.
“I learned how to rescue people who get stuck on the wall especially on long routes,” she said, adding that “climbing can be completely safe if you do it right.”
Having a diverse base of climbing enthusiasts is what she aims for.
Rock climbing is for everyone as long as the safety measures are followed — including veiled women, people from different age groups as well as those with special needs.
“The veil on your head has nothing to do with not being able to climb. There are so many women around the world who cover their head and are still able to climb. But outdoors you have to wear a (safety) helmet.”
She is planning on getting certified to train people with special needs in the future.
Gahtani believes there is much thirst for fun sports in Saudi Arabia. Those goes in line with what she called a “health movement” that is spreading in the Kingdom. “There’s a whole health movement. Everyone wants to be healthier and stronger.”
Places to climb outdoors are still limited and not yet prepared for sports climbing. “Since there are more climbers now who are getting into this sport, we will be able to be funded. We need funding to be able to bolt walls in Saudi Arabia.”
Her goal in the next two years is to have more outdoor spaces to climb “because we do have the mountains but we don’t have the facilities to climb as a sport.”
Gahtani is also an independent baby photographer and has a homemade stationery line. “I have a home-based business and I’ve just added this (climbing training) to it. It was a passion and a hobby that I wanted to turn into a profession.”
She advises young people to turn whatever they are passionate about into their jobs. “As long as you have the passion for it, it will work and you can be very successful.”
Certified Saudi rock climber wants to give sport firmer footing in Saudi Arabia
Certified Saudi rock climber wants to give sport firmer footing in Saudi Arabia
Related
Saudi Arabia witnessing comprehensive cultural development, says expert
- Clotilde Entrecanales of Acciona hails pace of change in Kingdom
JEDDAH: Museums, exhibitions and art centers play a crucial role in the development of free and educated societies such as the one now burgeoning in Saudi Arabia, an expert has told Arab News.
Clotilde Entrecanales, the Spanish art historian and cultural executive who heads Acciona Living & Culture, a leading creator of technology-driven interactive museums, exhibits and events, said the Kingdom is making efforts to expand the role of culture development to show the world the greatest possible cultural offer.
She added that the Kingdom has quickly infused new energy into the region, and is rapidly establishing itself as a global cultural hub through massive investment in world-class museums, public art and international events, aligning with its 2030 vision.
She said: “With around 70 percent of the population under 30, cultural consumption looks very different than in Europe or the US. These spaces can’t feel like quiet, isolated institutions … they need to be fast, dynamic, brave and deeply connected to the city, blending into everyday urban life rather than sitting apart from it.”
Asked about the role of these sites in the evolving global cultural landscape, particularly in emerging cultural hubs like Saudi Arabia, Entrecanales said: “Our vision is to be a purpose-led partner for cultural and entertainment institutions, helping them be more relevant, connected, inclusive and sustainable.”
She added: “In emerging cultural hubs like Saudi Arabia, that approach feels especially relevant. The cultural transformation underway is moving fast — with major heritage and cultural destinations being developed and opened to the world.”
Speaking about her impression of the Kingdom’s approach to blending heritage with modernity face, Entrecanales said: “Others who attempt to achieve this balance often end up turning heritage into a theme, a layer of storytelling or a cultural program. What feels different about Saudi’s approach is how much pressure there is to treat heritage as the foundation, not just the surface.
“When you’re building at this speed and scale, there’s always a risk that history becomes a backdrop instead of a backbone. The projects that work best are the ones that slow down just enough to let the past set the rhythm for the present.”
Regarding opportunities and challenges, she said: “The opportunity is nothing less than positioning Saudi Arabia as a global cultural center. The challenge, as always, lies in balancing the speed and scale of that ambition with long-term sustainability and a sense of authenticity that remains credible and rooted.”
She added: “You can really feel this in places like the Islamic Arts Biennale, which shows hundreds of historical artefacts of the Islamic world, while re-framing them through contemporary scenography and designs by some of the best design studios in the world; or in AlUla, a world-class heritage site that hosts a major contemporary platform like Desert X, allowing ancient context and present-day artistic practice to coexist in a way that feels genuine.”
Under her guidance, ACCIONA Cultura aspires to create museums and cultural experiences that function as landmarks while fostering sustainable, inclusive and immersive interactions.
She elaborated on how the company is integrating technology, culture, and sustainability to preserve and promote the region’s cultural heritage: “We always start with human connection and storytelling: what’s the story, what should people leave with? Tech comes later.”
Recently, ACCIONA Cultura has been involved in significant projects in Saudi Arabia and is looking forward for more.
She said: “Right now, for example, we’re designing and curating a museum gallery where the entire space is shaped by the practice of a Saudi artist. Another example is the Net Zero exhibition at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), where we brought together Saudi and international artists to explore sustainability and our relationship with the planet, including voices like Dina Haddadin, Mohammed Al-Faraj, and Zahrah Al-Ghamdi.”
She added: “One of the projects I’m most proud of isn’t a museum, but our NEXT IN Summit, which we’ve hosted in two editions in our ACCIONA Campus in Madrid, highlighting the Kingdom’s unprecedented cultural momentum as it builds future-facing institutions with a startup mindset.”
About further collaboration with Saudi Arabia, she said: “Let’s just say … something’s definitely simmering in the kitchen.”
Commenting on being recognized among the Blooloop 50 Museum Influencers for 2025, she said: “It means a lot. More than anything, it feels like a nod to the years of teamwork and dedication behind Acciona Cultura, rather than to me personally.”
