Palestinian 'first Arab woman' to scale Everest

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110528/wl_mideast_afp/arabpalestiniansclimbingeverestwomenuaeSuzanne al-Houby, a Palestinian who lives in the United Arab Emirates, has become the first woman to scale Mount Everest, the world's tallest mountain. (AFP/File/Prakash Mathema)

DUBAI (AFP) – Suzanne al-Houby, a Palestinian who lives in the United Arab Emirates, has become the first woman to scale Mount Everest, the world's tallest mountain, she said in a statement on Saturday.

"Becoming the first Arab woman to reach the top of the world was an enormous thrill and a great privilege," Houby said in the statement.

"I would like to share this triumph with the Palestinian people and all Arabs -- especially all the Arab women, young and old, who continue to contribute to the peace and stability of the region we all call home.

"I will never forget the moment when my dream became reality, when I saw the prayer flags flapping in the thin air, marking the summit of the greatest mountain on earth," she said.

Houby, 40, spent 51 days making the climb, which she completed on the morning of May 21, the statement said, adding that she spent two years preparing for her Everest attempt.