About Sheikha Asma
Sheikha Asma Al Thani is a record-setting Qatari athlete from the royal family and a champion of women empowerment in the Arab World and beyond. She is a transformative leader who encourages women to pursue their passions and achieve their goals. She is an adventurer at heart and a humanitarian by nature.
Sheikha Asma is also the director of Marketing and Communications at the Qatar Olympic Committee and has successfully led multiple campaigns for Qatar’s highest-profile sporting events.
Sheikha Asma’s partnership with UNHCR
In 2022, Sheikha Asma became the first Qatari woman to climb the summit of Mount Everest, reaching the highest peak on earth at 8,849m.
“As I pushed my limits and struggled to reach the top, I couldn’t help but think of the millions of refugees who embark on dangerous journeys to reach safety,” said Sheikha Asma Al Thani upon reaching Mount Everest’s peak in June 2022.
She summited the four tallest mountains in the world, namely Mount Everest, K2, Kangchenjunga and Lhotse, in less than two months, a feat no other Arab has achieved. Upon reaching each peak, Sheikha Asma raised the UNHCR flag to send a message of solidarity with refugees and advocate for their rights.
“I am climbing for something so much bigger than me. I am climbing for the tens of millions of refugees and forcibly displaced people around the world,” said Al Thani upon reaching the summit of K2 in July 2022.
UNHCR’s partnership with Sheikha Asma began shortly before her winter expedition in Antarctica, where she climbed the highest peak in the South Pole, Mount Vinson, beginning of 2022. She is set to complete the Explorer’s Grand Slam and is the first Arab to climb six of the seven highest summits on each continent and ski the North and South poles. Moreover, with her recent quests, she also became the first Arab to summit seven out of the fourteen peaks above 8,000 meters.
With common goals of raising awareness on the plight of refugees and calling for further support to those forced to flee due to conflict and persecution, Sheikha Asma Al Thani’s journey will continue to be a voice for the forcibly displaced.