In the latest stage of her seven-year voyage of discovery and adventure, Tima Deryan has skied to the South Pole – another mammoth step towards becoming the first Arab woman to complete what is known as the Grand Slam of mountaineering.
The Explorer’s Grand Slam, often referred to as the Adventurers’ Grand Slam, is the challenge to complete the Seven Summits, the highest peak on each continent, and ski to the North and South poles.
Not content with wrapping up the Seven Summits challenge, Ms Deryan ― from Lebanon ― skied to the South Pole on December 16.
With a North Pole ski now firmly set in her sights and an expedition there planned for April, her childhood dream of becoming the first Arab woman to complete the full set of challenges is within touching distance.
I aim to represent the image of a strong Arab woman around the world and show what we can do. Hopefully, I can change mindsets
Tima Deryan
According to Explorer’s Grand Slam website, about 73 people have completed the challenge, of which fewer than 20 are women.
This makes Ms Deryan’s ambitions for 2023 an extra special entry into the history books.
“I have been climbing since 2016 and have always been into extreme sports,” she said. “Living in the UAE encourages you to try new things, so I have done scuba diving and sky diving.
“I was working in finance in Dubai when I listened to a motivational speaker talk about Everest.
“It reminded me of my dream when I was 14 years old when I flew over Everest with my family, and I told them I wanted to come back to climb it one day.”
Tima Deryan's adventure journey
Ms Deryan, 30, started by climbing the highest peak in Europe, the 5,642m Mount Elbrus in the western Caucasus mountains of Russia in 2016.
That ignited a passion for climbing around the world and a dream to conquer all seven summits on each of the continents of the world.
They include the highest, Mount Everest in Asia (8,850m); followed by Aconcagua in Argentina, South America (6,962m); Denali ― also known as Mount McKinley in Alaska, North America (6,190m); Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa (5,895m); Puncak Jaya or Mount Carstensz in Indonesia, Oceania (4,884m) and Mount Vinson in Antarctica (4,892m).
“Not a lot of people have done that, but it made me want to extend my challenge further by skiing to the North and South poles,” Ms Deryan said.
“I completed the ski to the South Pole while I was in Antarctica and now I hope to complete the other leg of the ski in April to become the first Arab woman to finish the challenge and only the 17th woman overall.
“It was very costly, but I saw it as an investment in myself.”
After the climbing began in 2016, on December 16 she completed the penultimate leg of her challenge, a South Pole ski.
Each challenge involved a different support team with specialist local knowledge to ensure the climb continued safely.
A planned journey to the North Pole will take Ms Deryan to a latitude of 90° north, where all meridians of longitude meet and the only direction is south.
It is found in the middle of the Arctic Ocean in frozen waters 4,000m deep that are covered with constantly shifting sea ice about 3m thick.
“The mental fortitude and physical side is one thing, but funding these trips is also a challenge. It is important to go after your passion,” she said.
“Antarctica was like landing on the Moon. Once you land there, it is so beautiful, but also so empty with just research centres and continental outposts.
“Frostbite was a constant threat and you can never get warm. You learn to live with the cold.
“You hike, trek or ski for 10 hours a day and camp anywhere you can ... it is the same scenery every day.
“Every hour we would take a 12-minute break to rehydrate, we were exhausted so we had to load up on fat and sugar after each day.
“The wind could reach 40 knots and it would be minus 50°C on some occasions, so it was very challenging making camp each night after pulling a 45kg sledge during the day.
“My aim is to represent the image of a strong Arab woman around the world and show what we can do.
“My freedom was not easy to take and I have broken through barriers to do what I want to do.
“Hopefully I can help people to change their mindsets.”
Bio
Born in Dibba, Sharjah in 1972.
He is the eldest among 11 brothers and sisters.
He was educated in Sharjah schools and is a graduate of UAE University in Al Ain.
He has written poetry for 30 years and has had work published in local newspapers.
He likes all kinds of adventure movies that relate to his work.
His dream is a safe and preserved environment for all humankind.
His favourite book is The Quran, and 'Maze of Innovation and Creativity', written by his brother.
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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
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?
The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.
The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.
He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.
He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.
He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.
The story in numbers
18
This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens
450,000
More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps
1.5 million
There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m
73
The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association
18,000
The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme
77,400
The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study
4,926
This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
UAE SQUAD
Khalid Essa, Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Adel Al Hosani, Bandar Al Ahbabi, Mohammad Barghash, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Hassan Al Mahrami, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Yousef Jaber, Majed Sorour, Majed Hassan, Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Abdullah Al Naqbi, Khalil Al Hammadi, Fabio De Lima, Khalfan Mubarak, Tahnoon Al Zaabi, Ali Saleh, Caio Canedo, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
