Al Batool Baroom in the Islamic Development Bank summit
One of Al-Batool Baroom’s dreams is to climb the seven summits of the world. She has already scaled Kilimanjaro, in 2016, and Elbrus, in 2017. And now, the Saudi is trekking to Everest Base Camp as part of an all-female team led by Manal Rostom.
The renowned Egyptian athlete behind the ‘Surviving Hijab’ Facebook page, which offers a safe haven for women to candidly discuss issues, undoubtedly included Baroom because of her unshakable zeal when it comes to the successful page’s cause, and of course, the mountains. The women, who are on a mission to promote unity, tolerance, equality and inclusiveness for all females,set off for the challenging two-week trek on March 17.
Baroom took to Instagram to share how excited she is about the adventure:
As well as being part of this inspiring group of women, Baroom is Commercial Director at Studio55, a female fitness startup that delivers a new concept of boutique fitness for women in the Kingdom. Creating social change through fitness, the company aims to empower women to be more in all aspects of life by improving their lifestyles. Plus, she is Vice President of the Young Businesswomen’s Committee of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which aspires to embolden young female entrepreneurs, serve their interests and advocate on their behalf. She was also involved in the US-Saudi Women’s Forum on Social Entrepreneurship.
Apart from working to make a difference for women, Baroom hopes to advance her “knowledge and experience by engaging in, and contributing to social development projects within Saudi Arabia,” as she states on her LinkedIn profile, She also says in the long run, she wants to improve the Kingdom’s educational system and “cultivate the next generation of leaders, scholars, and entrepreneurs who will positively impact the future of Saudi Arabia.”
The outdoor adventure and sports lover is the Co-founder and the Director of Educational Affairs and Project Management at Tamkeen Al- Tamayuz, a Saudi startup that provides project management services and education consultancy to local organisations.
In the past, Baroom has also had several roles at KPMG Advisory, advising the Ministry of Labor and the Human Resource Development Fund on a national strategy for promoting the employment of persons with disabilities in the Kingdom. The go-getter has had posts at Dar Al-Hekma College and Student Affairs Executive, at the College of Business Administration too.
Baroom, who has a Masters degree in Education Policy and Management from Harvard University, volunteers for non-profit organisations and is active in several youth forums and groups. As a crewmember of the Jeddah Running Community, Baroom, who earned her B.Sc in Computer Science from King Abdul Aziz University in 2004, has participated in several races, including a sprint triathlon. She was a member of the Jeddah United basketball team and has coached the CBA basketball.
