Female Arab Adventurers Taking the World by Storm

Listen up, it’s officially International Women’s Day, and we’ve been waiting with bated breath - compiling and collating data all the while - just to bring you the region’s most amazing female adventurers and their Instagram accounts, from mountaineers to solo travellers and all-round extreme sports enthusiasts.

Hamsa Mansour - First Solo Female Cyclist | @hamsa_mansour

Dubbed ‘The First Solo Cyclist to go around Egypt,’ Hamsa Mansour did not come to play, like seriously, this woman cycled 775 kilometres in 11 days, around the Red Sea area alone. Having started in 2018, Mansour shows no signs of stopping. Don’t believe us? Peep her Insta yourselves.

Joyce Azzam - Mountaineer | @joyceazzam7s

Lebanese Mountaineer Joyce Azzam has quite literally touched base (or peak?) on seven continents. With a Ph.D. in Landscape and Environmental Management, as well as two Masters’ degrees in Architecture and Governance, Azzam is truly a force to be reckoned with in every field she’s tackled.

Asma Al Thani - Mountaineer and Sports Enthusiast | @atalthani

Having climbed Mt. Everest’s base camp and recently covered Harper’s Bazaar Arabia winter issue, Qatari Mountaineer and Sports Enthusiast Asma Al Thani conquered every field and in every sense of the word. In more colloquial terms, she ate and left no crumbs.

Nawal Sfendla - Mountaineer | @nawal.sfen

There is no introduction needed for the first woman to ever climb nine summits in six days, correct? Have we also mentioned that her Mountaineer lifestyle ran alongside her strutting her undeniable beauty on the cover of Grazia’s summer issue? Well now we did, and now you know.

Duaa Awabed - Adventurer | @duaa.awabed

Athlete, traveller, and all-things outdoor enthusiast, Duaa Awabed is next up on our list and it’s all due to the fact that we think she’s incredible and there’s something completely captivating and also serotonin-inducing about watching a woman do her thing while helping others, balancing a full-time job and just being an absolute queen, ya feel?

Rasha Yousif - Traveller | @rshrsho

You’re gonna need to put your seatbelt on for this one, kids. Island Queen, Founder of @Fotohbh, and Bahrain-based traveller Rasha Yousif has not only been capturing Bahraini culture through her initiative, but she has also visited 109 countries and pretty much documented all experiences for our viewing pleasure.   

Amira Ihab - Landscape and Travel Photographer | @196stamps

She’s a yogi whose yoga mat has touched more foreign soil than any of us have dared to dream. Egyptian traveller Amira Ihab has made it her mission to capture the world’s most beautiful fleeting moments, and in doing so, has the accompanying procured visual testaments to match - and they’re divine.

Nadine Arab - Solo Traveller | @curlsenroute

If you ever see a head of perfectly coiffed curls bouncing on mountain tops then it’s probably Egyptian adventurer and solo traveller Nadine Arab. Currently in Dubai (although that could change by the time this comes out, who knows?), Nadine has headlined amongst Cairo’s coolest creators at this year’s Shababco convention whilst also exploring every Egyptian hidden treasure, #justgirlythings

Tima Deryan - Mountaineer | @mountaingipsy

Just two words, Time Deryan, that’s it, that’s the tweet. All jokes aside, this woman truly needs no introduction. As the first Lebanese woman to summit Mount Everest, Deryan has been making headlines, leading talks and just like mitigating discussions on global exploration in her spare time. No biggie.

Raha Moharrak - Mountaineer | @rahamoharrak

Another living legend to summit Mt. Everest, Raha Moharrak is a graphic designer first and a mountaineer second. Whilst it started as a hobby, Moharrak’s love of exploration and appreciation for the outdoors runs deep (like diving in the Maldives deep) and brought her to unimaginable heights, all whilst bringing us along through her social media.

Nelly Attar - Traveller | @nellyattar

And of course, our list would not be complete if Athlete and Traveller Nelly Attar were not on it. Having reached the summit of both Everest and Kilimanjaro, Attar just can’t stop sprinkling her Arab greatness wherever she goes.