Veteran trekker Hadiya Al Zakwani’s friends never thought she would return to her passion for outdoor adventure so soon after suffering a nasty fall.
Hadiya was used to trekking through rough terrain, using her vast experience to explore the natural surroundings, walking on cliffs, rocky ground and steep hills for hours at a time.
But what started out as a regular expedition in Oman became a painful ordeal thanks to one misplaced step, after an accident left her stranded for more than 24 hours.
Last May, she set out for a trek but little did she know that something would go horribly wrong on a steep climb.
There was nothing much they could do except wrap a life-jacket around my broken leg
Hadiya Al Zakwani
“There were four us led by two tour guides,” Hadiya recalls. "We enjoyed rock-to-rock jumping at Umqbir village. Then we started climbing a cliff on foot to get to the top.
“I stepped on something and lost my footing and came tumbling down.”
Her leg turned as she was coming down, causing her to scream out in pain as she landed on rocky ground.
Her group informed her that she had broken her shin.
Umqbir is a haven for hikers with its gorges, meandering tracks and cliffs that offer a magnificent view of the landscape below — but it lies about 100km from Muscat.
“I could feel this unbearable pain coming from my leg," she says. After years of trekking it was the first time she had fallen and hurt herself seriously enough that she was unable to move.
It was about 10am when she fell. The tour guides used first-aid to relieve the pain but they were not trained to deal with broken bones.
“There was nothing much they could do except wrap a life-jacket around my broken leg,” Hadiya said. "They called the police emergency services and were told to wait for their arrival.
“But we were on difficult terrain and it was difficult to get out of there in my condition.”
The tour guide and fellow trekkers decided to get her down since they were somewhere between cliffs on a higher plateau. But the unevenness of the sharp rocks, stones, dangerous bends and steep hills on their way down made their progress extremely slow.
On a makeshift stretcher, they carried her down precarious paths at a snail's pace.
Umqbir is known for its beauty but difficult access when it comes to rescue.
A spokesman for Oman’s Civil Defence and Ambulance Authority (CDAA) explains: “It is a place notorious for its narrow paths — cliffs almost touching each other, where a rescue helicopter cannot go through. The best a rescue team could do is wait down on flat ground or send a team on foot up there.”
Hadiya and her group had to rest in the wilderness overnight and continue the journey down early the next morning.
By 11am the group had reached a plateau where the CDAA's rescue team was waiting with a helicopter.
Despite the setback, Hadiya is this week dead set on trekking to Oman's breathtaking Jebel Akhdar.
“The accident last year did not put me off trekking,” she said. "I still trek regularly and I learnt an important lesson of being careful where to go and what to step on while trekking."
A small community exists on Jebel Akhdar with some supermarkets, small restaurants and a handful of other resorts, and the surrounding landscape is set up for hiking, biking and trekking trails.
Whether a seasoned or first-time trekker, a list of dos and don’ts should be followed to protect the trekker, as well as the natural habitat.
Mohammed Al Saifi, a veteran of more than 30 years’ trekking, warned of the many potential dangers on a seemingly peaceful and serene trek in Oman's mountains.
“Before you go trekking, you must make sure the tour guides know what do with emergency like broken bones,” he said. “Avoid trekking on cliffs that are closed to each other or grounds that are too spiky, steep or slippery.”
Results
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Top financial tips for graduates
Araminta Robertson, of the Financially Mint blog, shares her financial advice for university leavers:
1. Build digital or technical skills: After graduation, people can find it extremely hard to find jobs. From programming to digital marketing, your early twenties are for building skills. Future employers will want people with tech skills.
2. Side hustle: At 16, I lived in a village and started teaching online, as well as doing work as a virtual assistant and marketer. There are six skills you can use online: translation; teaching; programming; digital marketing; design and writing. If you master two, you’ll always be able to make money.
3. Networking: Knowing how to make connections is extremely useful. Use LinkedIn to find people who have the job you want, connect and ask to meet for coffee. Ask how they did it and if they know anyone who can help you. I secured quite a few clients this way.
4. Pay yourself first: The minute you receive any income, put about 15 per cent aside into a savings account you won’t touch, to go towards your emergency fund or to start investing. I do 20 per cent. It helped me start saving immediately.
Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Scoreline:
Everton 4
Richarlison 13'), Sigurdsson 28', Digne 56', Walcott 64'
Manchester United 0
Man of the match: Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton)
Match info:
Leicester City 1
Ghezzal (63')
Liverpool 2
Mane (10'), Firmino (45')
Manchester United v Club America
When: Thursday, 9pm Arizona time (Friday UAE, 8am)
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
Pakistanis%20at%20the%20ILT20%20
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
Emirates Cricket Board Women’s T10
ECB Hawks v ECB Falcons
Monday, April 6, 7.30pm, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
The match will be broadcast live on the My Sports Eye Facebook page
Hawks
Coach: Chaitrali Kalgutkar
Squad: Chaya Mughal (captain), Archara Supriya, Chamani Senevirathne, Chathurika Anand, Geethika Jyothis, Indhuja Nandakumar, Kashish Loungani, Khushi Sharma, Khushi Tanwar, Rinitha Rajith, Siddhi Pagarani, Siya Gokhale, Subha Srinivasan, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish
Falcons
Coach: Najeeb Amar
Squad: Kavisha Kumari (captain), Almaseera Jahangir, Annika Shivpuri, Archisha Mukherjee, Judit Cleetus, Ishani Senavirathne, Lavanya Keny, Mahika Gaur, Malavika Unnithan, Rishitha Rajith, Rithika Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Shashini Kaluarachchi, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Vaishnave Mahesh
OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
MATCH INFO
Delhi Daredevils 174-4 (20 ovs)
Mumbai Indians 163 (19.3 ovs)
Delhi won the match by 11 runs
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
