When I first spoke with Mostafa Salameh over Zoom, his presence was immediately striking, behind him, a bookshelf overflowing with books hinted at the depth of his curiosity and intellect. Zenith writer Mariam had met him earlier at The Gladiator Summit in Dubai and was in awe of his achievements; I, too, felt compelled to meet him. It was in that conversation that his story began to unfold, a journey defined not by mountains, but by vision, faith, and resilience.
Born in Kuwait to Palestinian refugee parents and raised between displacement and resilience, Salameh’s early life was shaped by instability rather than ambition. Mountaineering was never part of the plan. In fact, he had never climbed a mountain when, in 2004, a vivid and deeply spiritual dream altered the trajectory of his life. In it, he saw himself delivering the call to prayer from the highest point on Earth.
What followed was not a leap of fantasy, but a disciplined pursuit of meaning.
A Calling From the Middle East to the Top of the World
Salameh’s journey into exploration began in earnest when he resolved to honour that vision. Despite scepticism from those around him and a complete lack of mountaineering background, he committed himself to the path ahead. In 2008, after years of failed attempts, financial hardship and relentless training, he became the first Palestinian Jordanian to summit Mount Everest.
He reached the summit on 25 May 2008, standing 8,848 metres above sea level. Later that year, King Abdullah II of Jordan recognised his achievement with a knighthood, marking a moment of national pride and personal vindication.
But Everest was only the beginning.
Salameh went on to complete the Explorers Grand Slam, conquering the Seven Summits alongside expeditions to both the North and South Poles. Fewer than 20 people in history have achieved this feat. His accomplishments place him among the world’s most elite explorers, yet he speaks of them not as conquests, but as responsibilities.
“Everyone has an Everest in their life,” he often says. “Mine simply happened to be a mountain.”
Purpose Beyond the Summit
Four years into his climbing career, Salameh made a defining decision. He would never climb for glory alone. Each ascent would serve a cause.
Since 2012, his expeditions have raised more than five million dollars for charitable initiatives across the Middle East and beyond. Through programmes such as Lowest to Highest for Cancer, See No Limits, Climb for Children of Gaza, Eye Can See and Climb4Karam, Salameh has combined physical endurance with humanitarian vision.
Funds raised have rebuilt schools in Gaza, expanded cancer treatment facilities in Jordan, supported refugees returning to education, and challenged global perceptions of disability by leading inclusive climbs up Mount Kilimanjaro.
For Salameh, the summit photograph is never the victory. The real achievement lies in the lives changed long after the descent.
The Discipline of Faith and Identity
Today, Salameh identifies proudly as Palestinian, Jordanian and Scottish British, a triad of cultures that shaped his worldview. Having arrived in the United Kingdom as a young man with no English and no legal status, he learned the language in restaurant kitchens and built a career in hospitality before returning to university in Scotland.
Faith underpins his discipline. His days begin before dawn with prayer, followed by rigorous training, professional commitments and charitable work. He speaks openly about intention, humility and perseverance, values he believes are inseparable from success.
“Discipline is everything,” he says. “If you can master your routine, you can master your dream.”
Author, Speaker and Advocate
Salameh has chronicled his journey in several books, including Dreams of a Refugee, published by Bloomsbury, and Journey of Ascension and Rising, which explores the spiritual dimensions of mountaineering. He has also authored a children’s series designed to inspire young readers to pursue courage and purpose.
As a sought-after keynote speaker, he addresses audiences ranging from global corporations to schools and universities, delivering a message that resonates far beyond the climbing world.
Goals, he insists, are not meant to be easy. They are meant to reveal who we are willing to become.
A Legacy Still Rising
Standing atop the world did not quiet Salameh’s inner voice. If anything, it amplified it.
“I would rather die than be told there is no new dream to achieve,” he says. “When we listen to our inner truth, great things happen.”
In an era obsessed with instant success, Mostafa Salameh represents something rarer. A life built slowly, deliberately and in service to others. His story is not about mountains, but about what it means to rise, again and again, with purpose.
Because genius, after all, is not born at the summit. It is discovered in the climb.
