UAE women return from Everest base camp

Abu Dhabi - A sixteen-man UAE Armed Forces team are at base camp undergoing training for their attempt to climb the world's highest peak.

A team of women from the UAE Armed Forces has come home after climbing to Mount Everest base camp in the Khumbu valley, 5,364 metres above sea level in the Himalayas in Nepal.
The team, which consisted of twelve climbers from the UAE Armed Forces, including nine female military climbers, two trainers and a doctor, was received by a number of senior military officers at Abu Dhabi International Airport,
The achievement was made as a result of the interest given to Emirati women by the wise leadership of the UAE represented by the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan; His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; and His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces; who have supported Emirati women by launching a number of ambitious programmes enabling them to be partners of men in various fields of national work.
The Emirati women were also supported by Shaikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, as part of her commitment to empowering women and supporting them in all domains.
Meanwhile, a sixteen-man UAE Armed Forces team are at base camp undergoing intensive training on equipment and preparations for their attempt to climb the world's highest peak as the first official military team in the region. The climbers have previously completed a nine-day trek from the village of Lokla, staying overnight in several villages along the trail before reaching the Everest base camp. Dr Hashel Obaid Al Tunaiji, one of the team members and the doctor accompanying the mission, said that all team members are in good health and have gradually adapted to the high altitudes and the decreasing levels of oxygen.
The next stage for them is to proceed to cross the Khumbu Icefall, a dangerous stage that must be passed by climbers in order to lead them to advanced camps and reach Everest's summit. - Wam

• UAE