Raha Moharrak knew she wanted to summit Everest the moment she first reached the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro.
A few years later, she achieved that dream and became the first Saudi woman to reach the top of the world. Since then, she has gone on to conquer each of the world’s Seven Summits — the ultimate achievement for climbing aficionados worldwide — and a stunning feat of human endurance. Our winner is now a keen speaker of women’s rights in Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Arab world.
Most recently, she became the first-ever Arab brand ambassador for Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer, and now joins the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Bella Hadid on the world stage.
What does this award mean to you?
I remember reading my first copy of Esquire and, as a woman, it is incredible to be recognised in a man’s world for my achievements.
What does 2018 bring for you?
If my parents read this then I’d say “relaxing!”. Last year was very tough for me physically, but while I will continue to hike and climb, I want 2018 to be about conquering an emotional mountain: writing a book about my experiences.
