Nadhira Al Harthy
Omani mountaineer and civil servant (1978–2026)
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Nadhira bint Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy (or Alharthy; Arabic: نظيرة بنت أحمد عبد الله الحارثي or الحارثية; 1978 – 30 July 2026) was an Omani civil servant and mountaineer. She was the second person from Oman, and the first Omani woman, to climb Mount Everest. Al Harthy also summited several other eight-thousanders, including Manaslu, K2, and Nanga Parbat.
Nadhira Al Harthy | |
|---|---|
نظيرة الحارثي | |
Al Harthy in 2026 | |
| Born | 1978[3] Muscat, Oman |
| Died | 30 July 2026 (aged 47–48) Broad Peak, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan |
Cause of death | 2026 Broad Peak avalanche |
| Education | Rustaq College of Education |
| Occupations |
|
| Employer | Oman's Ministry of Education |
| Known for | First Omani woman to summit Mount Everest, K2, Nanga Parbat |
Early life
Al Harthy was born no later than November 1978.[4] She went to Rustaq College of Education,[5] where she obtained a master's degree in geography.[4][6] She worked for four years as a geography teacher[5] before she became a civil servant who worked for Oman's Ministry of Education.[7]
In 2015, she brought a group of students to Tanzania to climb Mount Kilimanjaro as part of a project for the Ministry of Education. She tried to climb the peak, but was unable to do so because of altitude sickness.[8]
Climbing career
In 2017, she set herself the goal of climbing the world's highest peak. She had met Khalid Al Siyabi, who was the only Omani person at the time to have climbed Everest, which he had done seven years earlier. He came to the ministry where she was director of citizenship, and she was inspired. She went to the gym each week,[9] and began running and climbing mountains in Oman.[4] In 2018, she took part in the 130km Ultra-Trail Mont Blanc. She ran the ultra-marathon, but had to drop out during the race due to injury.[4] That year, she also attempted to climb Nepal's Ama Dablam, but was unsuccessful. Instead of being discouraged, the experience only strengthened her resolve to climb the world's highest peak.[8]
Al Harthy was training under the guidance of her mentor, Khalid al-Siyabi, and for a long time, her ambition to climb Everest was a secret. She told her own family of the plan just two months before she set out.[9]
Himalayan climbing
In 2019, Al Harthy became the second person from Oman and the first Omani woman to climb Mount Everest. This was the year in which the queues to climb the mountain became a news story[4], and also the year that her mentor died.[10] She was part of a team that included Mona Shahab of Saudi Arabia and the Lebanese climbers Joyce Azzam and Nelly Attar. She reached the summit on the anniversary of her mentor's ascent, and she left his name at the top.[9] The achievement was described as being by an "all-woman Arab team"[4] and it was filmed by the Canadian climber Elia Saikaly.[11]
In 2021, she returned to the Himalayas to summit Manaslu (8,156 meters). That year, she also became the first woman from the Arab world to climb Ama Dablam. This peak had defeated her before when she was training for her Everest ascent.[7]
The following year, she became the first ever Omani woman to summit K2 (8,611 meters).[12] In 2023, she climbed the Matterhorn (4,478 m).[13]
On July 10, 2024, Al Harthy summitted Nanga Parbat as part of a 10-person expedition team, and was the first person from Oman to summit the Himalaya's "Killer Mountain".[6]
Death
In 2026, Al Harthy traveled to Pakistan as part of her attempt to complete the 14 Peaks Project, an effort to climb all 14 eight-thousanders. She announced that her Pakistan expedition would include attempts on Broad Peak (8,051 m) and Gasherbrum I (8,080 m).[1][14][15]
On 30 July 2026, during the expedition, Al Harthy was caught in an avalanche on Broad Peak.[16] On 31 July, the Alpine Club of Pakistan confirmed that she was alongside nine other climbers, including Nepalese Nirmal Purja, who died in the avalanche.[17][18]
After her death, the Foreign Ministry of Oman publicly expressed condolences over Al Harthy's death and praise for her efforts to strengthen relations between Nepal and Oman.[19]