Abu Dhabi: The UAE Armed Forces team of climbers were given a warm welcome in Abu Dhabi on Thursday on their arrival in the country after their successful conquest of Mount Everest, the world’s tallest mountain.
On arrival, the team was greeted by Shaikh Nahyan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, chairman of the board of trustees of the Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation, UAE Armed Forces officials, friends and family, who congratulated them on their accomplishment.
Earlier this week, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, congratulated the UAE Armed Forces team on reaching the summit of Mount Everest.
In a handwritten letter to the team, Shaikh Mohammad expressed his joy at the team’s achievement and their efforts in overcoming extreme challenges. Shaikh Mohammad hailed the team for being persistent in their adventure and succeeding in reaching the summit through team effort and by undergoing extensive physical and psychological preparations.
The team of climbers, a total of 16 members including 13 Emiratis from the armed forces and three experts in mountaineering expeditions, embarked on their mission around two months ago, and successfully scaled the summit of Mount Everest at 8,858 metres on May 19, planting the UAE flag to mark the 40th anniversary of the unification of UAE’s military forces.
By succeeding in their mission, the team also became the largest military team in the region to accomplish the ascent.
“It’s not easy to climb Mount Everest. There were many challenges we faced along the way, the prime one being the altitude,” said Tareq Al Zarouni, one of the climbers.
“On some days, it was very cold and I got frost bite, and on other days, the weather was very hot. So, each day was a challenge and I kept myself motivated to finish the climb even though there were times I thought I would not be able to make it. In the end, we managed to complete the climb and it was a glorious feeling. I was happy and proud of myself and the country for the achievement,” Al Zarouni added. .
Al Zarouni also said he was overwhelmed by the gestures of support once the team arrived in Abu Dhabi.
“I didn’t expect it. I was thinking I would arrive and just take a taxi back home. When I looked outside the plane and saw everyone waiting to welcome us, I almost cried. It is a huge honour for us and we’re very happy that the country has backed us.”
Mohammad Saeed, another member of the team, echoed similar sentiments.
“It was very hard to make the climb, but we did it and we are very proud that we have been able to give something back to our country,” he said.
“It makes us very happy to see all the people coming out to support us when we arrived, and definitely makes the whole experience worthwhile. We are happy that we have been able to make our countrymen proud,” he added.
Abdul Aziz Al Thamimi spoke of his satisfaction at seeing several years of hard work pay off.
“We were climbing for two months but it was five years of hard work and training, so it’s not easy to put it into words and to describe how I felt at the moment when we made it to the top,” he said.
“To be able to put our flag at the top of the world is our small way of giving something back to our country and government.
“This is only the beginning, we want to continue on to other things and to build something new and, hopefully, we will be able to do more for our country,” he added.
