An 18-year-old Emirati mountaineer has reached the highest point in Antarctica, marking a historic achievement for the UAE and the Arab world during an expedition completed earlier this week.
Fatima Abdulrahman Al Awadhi summited Mount Vinson, Antarctica’s tallest mountain at 4,892 meters, on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, becoming the youngest person and the first Arab to reach the peak.
The climb was carried out in extreme conditions, with temperatures dropping below minus 40 degrees Celsius and strong winds, requiring weeks of endurance, self-reliance and physical preparation in a continent that has no permanent residents and limited access.
Al Awadhi said Mount Vinson presented far greater challenges compared to her previous climbs, noting that the isolation and extreme cold tested her mental strength and resilience.
She dedicated the achievement to UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Mother of the Nation, citing their continued support for youth and women.
“Raising the UAE flag with pride on the world’s highest peaks represents 54 years of a nation built on opportunity and inspiration,” she said through WAM. “It is a country I am deeply grateful to have grown up in, and I hope to give back. Without the continuous support the UAE offers its youth, this journey would have been far more difficult.”
The ascent forms part of her pursuit of the Explorer’s Grand Slam, a global challenge that includes climbing the Seven Summits—the highest mountains on each continent—and reaching both the North and South Poles, building on her earlier achievement of summiting Mount Elbrus, Europe’s highest peak, on July 6, 2025, when she became the youngest Emirati to do so.
