JUST eight days after starting out on their expedition to reach the North Pole, the mainly novice team of female explorers, including four Arab women, have arrived on top at the world.

The 11-member Euro-Arabian Polar Expedition including Anisa Al Raissi (Oman), Lamees Nijem (Kuwait), Mariam Hamidaddin (Saudi Arabia) and Sheikha Asma Al-Thani (Qatar) reached the North Pole after traveling over 80km on the moving pack ice of the Arctic Ocean.

They faced freezing temperatures, open patches of water in the sea ice, as well as the constant threat of polar bears during their adventure, which started on April 15 when the team departed the remote Arctic archipelago of Svalbard.

From there they flew to the floating ice station known as ‘Barneo’ and started their ski journey across the Arctic pack ice. Preparations for the expedition have been ongoing for nearly two years including training expeditions in Iceland and Oman.

The team spent 10 days on the shifting pack ice of the Arctic Ocean attempting to ski roughly 100km over the treacherous terrain to reach the Geographic North Pole, the top of the world. Many of the women became the first person from their country to ski the last degree to the Geographic North Pole.

The Euro-Arabian team slept in tents on the ice when they are not skiing, and used sleds to haul everything they needed to survive in the Arctic. As well as the perils of temperatures as low as minus 40C, other hazards the team faced, included movements of the pack ice that may split apart to reveal open water or push together to form walls of ice that have to be crossed. There is also the threat of predatory polar bears.

Led by Felicity Aston MBE, the Euro-Arabian team had an experienced polar guide. In 2012 Aston became the first person in the world to ski across Antarctica alone and without the aid of kites, machines or dogs — a journey of 1,744km that took her 59 days to complete.

She commented at the North Pole: “The team have endured the extreme environment and restricted living spaces with great humor and tremendous sense of adventure. They have held on tightly to their reasons for making this trip and each team member has been critical to the success of the expedition.

“We want to send a strong and positive message about gender equality and the need for greater cultural understanding when tackling large problems.”

After a particularly grueling last leg of the trip, the team arrived at the North Pole in good spirits. They were met there by their sponsor Eugene Kaspersky, who flew out by helicopter to meet and celebrate with them at the top of the world. They were also reunited at the Pole with Saudi Arabian teammate, Mariam, who had left the team on day two as a precaution after suffering from what were described as minor injuries.

The team participated in two important science experiments during the expedition looking at the effect of the extreme environment on their bodies and on their minds, and shared their experiences live from the ice with schools and via social media.

The expedition was sponsored by cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab, as well as Engie, Poseidon Expeditions, OmanTel and I Feel Slovenia.

Having sponsored two of Aston’s previous polar adventures — the Kaspersky Commonwealth Antarctic Expedition in 2009, and the Kaspersky ONE Transantarctic Expedition in 2011 — the cybersecurity company was keen to support her latest endeavor: the first ever all-women Euro-Arabian North Pole expedition.

Kaspersky Lab CEO Eugene Kaspersky — who flew the North Pole to meet and congratulate the women upon their arrival — said the company was proud to continue its support of inspiring female adventurers like Aston and her team.

“For me, Arctic adventuring isn’t just an exciting challenge, it’s a powerful motivation. People like Felicity and her team —determined and passionate — genuinely inspire me. They’re also role models for the younger generation — they help them to really go after what they want in life.”

Kaspersky Lab is a global cybersecurity company celebrating its 20-year anniversary in 2017. Kaspersky Lab’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into security solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company’s comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection and a number of specialized security solutions and services to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. — SG