Climbing Everest: Expat woman from Qatar shares her courageous journey

Doha, Qatar: From the flat sands of the Gulf to the icy slopes of the Himalayas, Safrina Latheef s journey to the top of Mount Everest reads like a mo...

Doha, Qatar: From the flat sands of the Gulf to the icy slopes of the Himalayas, Safrina Latheef’s journey to the top of Mount Everest reads like a modern‑day epic. A Doha‑based mother, former cake artist, and now history‑maker, Safrina became the first woman from Kerala and the first Indian expat woman in Qatar to summit the world’s highest peak.

But this wasn’t always the plan. “I wasn’t athletic at all. I was a couch potato growing up in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Outdoor life just wasn’t part of our routine,” she told The Peninsula.

“I spent my childhood in Saudi Arabia and moved to Qatar with my family in early 2000. I continued my education at Qatar University and HBKU. My husband joined the surgical residency program at Hamad, and together we built our life here.”

Over 25 years, Qatar became more than just home, but a place where she found her strength. “It’s where I’ve grown, studied, started my family, and found the courage to dream beyond limits that eventually led me to the mountains.”

From travel to trekking: a dream takes shape