Khaled first Omani to scale Mount Everest- Thirty seven-year-old Khalid bin Sulaiman Al Siyabi yesterday became the first Omani to scale Mount Everest which stands 8,848 meters above sea level. The adventurer reached the peak at 10.15am (Omani time).

Hoisting Oman’s flag on Everest Summit, Khalid said his mission, which took two months to complete, was not at all easy.

The climbing mission was delayed several times due to ice slips, fluctuating temperatures which at times touched minus 50 degrees celsius, and strong winds, Khalid said, adding that lack of oxygen was a major challenge he had faced during his journey.

Khalid and a team of adventurers from Turkey, Finland, US, UK, Ireland, Australia and Argentina had spent about 60 days in training. “The stages were tough which forced some members of the team to withdraw,” he said.

But that did not deter him as he had the Sultanate’s 40th National Day anniversary in mind, Khalid said. He told ONA that he now has this achivement to express his loyalty and allegiance to the leader of the blessed development march, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said.

This achievement, he said, would not only become a model for Omani youths to emulate but also draw the world’s attention to the Sultanate‘s rich history and culture.

Khalid had, in 2009, become the first Arab to climb Bimori (7,145 metres above sea level) one of the most dangerous Himalayan mountains