Islamabad: Omani climber Nazira Al-Harthi died following an avalanche on Broad Bek in Pakistan, one of the peaks exceeding 8,000 meters in height, part of the Karakoram range, a towering mountain range stretching between Pakistan, India, and China and containing some of the highest and most dangerous peaks in the world.
According to National Iraqi News Agency, her body was found at the bottom of the avalanche site after the climbing team was swept away by snow from an altitude of approximately 6,600 meters. Omani reports also indicated that her body was transported by helicopter to Skardu, pending completion of the official procedures for its repatriation to the Sultanate of Oman.
Nazira was not just a climber who reached high peaks; she was one of the most prominent Omani sports figures in the public memory because she made a sport that seemed far removed from the Gulf environment part of the national narrative. In 2019, she became the first Omani woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest, and the second Omani to achieve this feat. She then continued to climb major peaks such as Ama Dablam, Manaslu, K2, and Nanga Parbat, becoming the first Omani to climb four peaks exceeding 8,000 meters in height.
Born in 1977, Al-Harthi previously worked as a geography teacher, later at the Ministry of Education. She earned a master's degree in geography from Sultan Qaboos University. Her entry into the world of mountaineering wasn't through direct competition, but rather through education. Her relationship with climbing began in 2015 when she accompanied a group of Omani students to Mount Kilimanjaro as part of the GLOBE environmental program. There, she first encountered mountains, and her meeting with the late Omani climber Khalid Al-Siyabi, the first Omani to reach Everest, proved to be a turning point in her journey.
Since then, the experience has transformed into a full-fledged project. She no longer trains only in indoor facilities, but also in the mountains of Oman, particularly Jebel Akhdar, in addition to long-distance running, swimming, weightlifting, and acclimatizing to altitude.
Al-Harthi had a presence on social media platforms, where she shared details of her travels, training, and photos from the peaks she climbed. Her Instagram account, with over 35,600 followers, became a space for condolences and reflections on her life after her passing. Comments described her as an inspiration to many who left this world doing what she loved most.
The Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs praised her efforts in strengthening humanitarian and cultural ties between the Sultanate of Oman and Nepal, particularly during her presidency of the Omani-Nepalese Friendship Association, and her contributions to community work and fostering cooperation between the two peoples.