Nabil Al Busaidi
{{short description|Omani adventurer|bot=PearBOT 5}}
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Nabil Al Busaidi (born 23 January 1970 in London, England) is an Omani adventurer. Al Busaidi is considered to be the first Arab{{Cite web|title=Nabil Al Busaidi, first Arab who walked to the magnetic North Pole, visits Stenden University Qatar|url=https://www.iloveqatar.net/news/general/nabil-al-busaidi-first-arab-who-walked-to-the-magnetic-north-pole-visits-stenden-university-qatar|access-date=2021-09-02|website=www.iloveqatar.net|language=en}} to walk to the magnetic North Pole, climb Mount Vinson in Antarctica,{{cite news|url=http://www.arabianbusiness.com/nabil-al-busaidi-s-antarctic-expedition-diary-9638.html |title=Nabil Al-Busaidi's Antarctic expedition diary – Features |newspaper=Arabian Business |date=17 January 2010 |publisher=ArabianBusiness.com |accessdate=5 November 2013}} and row across the Atlantic Ocean.{{cite web|url=http://www.oceanrowing.com/statistics/rowers_by_country.htm |title=OCEAN ROWERS by COUNTRY|publisher=Oceanrowing.com |accessdate=5 November 2013}}
He was voted one of the Top 100 Most Influential Arabs in the World by Arabian Business magazine in 2009,{{cite news|url=http://www.arabianbusiness.com/-nabs-becomes-first-arab-reach-north-pole-19007.html |title="Nabs" becomes first Arab to reach the North Pole – Sport |newspaper=Arabian Business |date=May 2009 |publisher=ArabianBusiness.com |accessdate=5 November 2013}} The Top 50 Influential Arabs by Middle East magazine in 2009 and 2011, and remains in the Top 500 Power List in 2011 for Arabian Business magazine.{{cite news|url=http://www.arabianbusiness.com/power500/entry/387243 |title=Prince Alwaleed the world's most powerful Arab – Culture & Society |newspaper=Arabian Business |date=19 December 2009 |publisher=ArabianBusiness.com |accessdate=5 November 2013}}
A documentary{{cite web|url=http://vimeo.com/5393964 |title='THE ARAB WHO TOOK ON THE ARCTIC' – Trailer on Vimeo |via=Vimeo |date=30 June 2009 |accessdate=5 November 2013}} about his trek to the magnetic North Pole was directed and edited by two-time Emmy Award winning director David Ward.{{cite web|url=http://www.davidwardfilms.co.uk/awards.html |title=David Ward Films Awards |publisher=Davidwardfilms.co.uk |accessdate=5 November 2013}}
Early life and education
Al Busaidi was born in 1970 in London, England, and split his time between England and Bahrain. He studied at the University of Bath earning a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Mathematics (1993) and Masters in Management (1997). He is a Project Management Professional (PMP) and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS). In 1998, he moved back to the Middle East, residing in Oman and Bahrain.
Career
Professionally, Nabs worked at a number of institutions such as Gulf International Bank (Bahrain), KPMG (Oman), Mizuho Bank (Bahrain), and Gulf Air (Bahrain) before becoming a full-time adventurer.
An avid sports enthusiast, Nabs was awarded university colours for soccer and American football at Bath University.
He is a Royal Life Saving Society UK Bronze award holder and a PADI advanced open water scuba diver.
In Bahrain, he played for Bahrain RFC, an amateur rugby team,{{cite web|url=http://www.bahrainrfc.com/?p=1204 |title=IIS7 |publisher=Bahrainrfc.com |accessdate=5 November 2013}} during their 1997–2005 seasons and as a lifelong fan Liverpool F.C. he set up a Bahrain Liverpool FC Fan Club on Facebook.{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2354534942 |title=Facebook |publisher=Facebook |accessdate=5 November 2013}}{{Primary source inline|date=February 2020}}
Nabs published a coffee table book entitled The Arab who Took on the Arctic – From Sand to Snow{{cite news|url=http://www.timeoutdubai.com/knowledge/features/25888-nabs-al-busaidi-interview |title=Nabs Al Busaidi interview – The Knowledge Features |newspaper=Time Out Dubai |publisher=TimeOutDubai.com |date=10 August 2011 |accessdate=5 November 2013}} in 2011 and is registered with the London Speakers Bureau as a motivational speaker.{{cite web|url=http://www.londonspeakerbureau.in/nabil_al_busaidi.aspx |title=India Speaker Bureau | Speaker agency, Leadership speakers, Business speakers |publisher=Londonspeakerbureau.in |accessdate=5 November 2013}}
Adventurer
In April 2009, he became the first Arab to walk the 650 km from Resolute Bay to the magnetic North Pole and one of less than 500 ever to walk to a pole.
Later in the same year, he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa at 5,895m and one of the seven summits.{{cite web|url=http://www.arabadventurer.com/index.php/expeditions/mount-kilimanjaro |title=Nabil Al Busaidi | The Arab Adventurer – Mount Kilimanjaro |publisher=The Arab Adventurer |accessdate=5 November 2013}}
In January 2010, Nabs climbed Mount Vinson (4,897m), the highest mountain in Antarctica, also one of the seven summits.{{cite web|url=http://www.arabadventurer.com/index.php/expeditions/mount-vinson-antarctica |title=Nabil Al Busaidi | The Arab Adventurer – Mount Vinson, Antarctica |publisher=The Arab Adventurer |accessdate=5 November 2013}}
He became{{when|date=December 2024}} the first Arab to row over 4,600 km across the Atlantic, albeit in a team comprising 14 members, one of only 250 crews to achieve this feat and breaking the record for being the largest crew ever to complete the trip.{{cn|date=December 2024}}
Current activities
Inspired by a boarding school{{cite web|url=http://www.elthamians.net/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=315 |accessdate=6 September 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110823234533/http://www.elthamians.net/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=315 |archivedate=23 August 2011 |title=Eltham College }} friend Major Phil Packer,{{cite web|url=http://www.philpacker.com/ |title=Welcome to the official Phil Packer website |publisher=Philpacker.com |accessdate=5 November 2013}} who raised more than one million pounds for charity,{{cite web |url=http://www.prideofbritain.com/contentpages/winners/2009/major-phil-packer.aspx |title=The Pride of Britain Awards – Major Phil Packer |publisher=Prideofbritain.com |accessdate=5 November 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120918155047/http://www.prideofbritain.com/contentpages/winners/2009/major-phil-packer.aspx |archive-date=18 September 2012 |url-status=dead }} Nabs is working on a tour of 100 schools throughout the GCC. He is hoping to raise US$1 million for local charities.
References
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Category:Explorers of Antarctica
Category:British explorers of the Arctic
Category:Graduates of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Category:People educated at Eltham College
Category:Alumni of the University of Bath