RIYADH, 17 March 2008 — A 30-year-old national is ready to leave for Nepal today to scale Mount Everest, a feat that will make him the first Saudi to attempt the mammoth climb.
“My goal is to unfurl the Saudi flag on top of the world’s highest peak,” said Farouk Saad Hamad Al-Zoman, addressing a press conference here yesterday.
Al-Zoman has climbed four of the world’s highest peaks while studying at Oregon State University and is set to embark on scaling the 8,850-meter high mountain on March 23.
Al-Zoman, a PR strategist for Attariq Communications, said he is prepared for the challenge of his life, which would also make him the second Arab to attempt the feat.
Al-Zoman will be climbing with seven others — four from the United States and three from Canada, Oman and France.
He explained, it would take around 70 days to reach the top. “I’ve been training hard in preparation,” he said.
At the end of last year, 3,679 people had attempted to climb Everest; only 2,436 climbers had been successful. So far, 210 people have died trying to reach the summit.
Nevertheless, Al-Zoman, the eldest of five brothers and sisters, is confident of fulfilling his lifelong dream.
“Allah will help me reach the highest mountain peak in the world... climbers may face a number of dangers like avalanches, blizzards, a lack of oxygen and dangerous animals. But, I believe and place my trust in Allah,” said Al-Zoman.
“Although, Nepal has effectively closed Mount Everest to climbers for the time being to allow the Olympic Flame to be carried to the top without being troubled by Tibetan protesters, we’ve been allowed as we are pre-registered,” added Al-Zoman.
“A climber needs to be approved by one of the companies that organize expeditions to Mount Everest and after that an additional approval is needed from the Nepalese government. We’ve already finished this process.” Attariq Communications and Kudu Corporation are co-sponsoring Al-Zoman.
“We’ve sponsored the expedition to help a citizen carry out a glorious duty,” said Sultan Al-Bazie, CEO of Attariq Communications.
“The participation of Kudu in sponsoring the event comes from its belief in supporting initiatives that reflect the Saudi youth’s willingness to face risks and challenges,” said Abdul Muhsen Al-Yahya, general manager for Kudu Corporation.
