SAUDI GAZETTE

JEDDAH — “I am many things, a designer, an adventurer, a daughter, a speaker and a rebel. I am all these things, but none of these at the same time,” said Raha Moharak, Chevrolet brand ambassador in the Middle East for this year and the first Saudi woman to climb Mount Everest and the seven summits in 2013.

Moharak, who has a Visual Communications degree from the American University of Sharjah, made her dream come true when she reached Mount Everest. She mentioned that the actual climb might have taken me 60 days, but actually getting there took her whole life.

For her, it is not a physical challenge as much as it is an emotional and mental challenge, unlike what everyone tends to think. Physicality is only a small portion of it. It is a Pandora’s box of emotions that has taught me so much, and I still carry every single lesson with me, until today.”

“It happened when I saw Mt Everest for the first time, and the feeling of wanting to climb up there shot straight through my heart. Taking this challenge on, I was faced with many struggles along the way – from training, gear selection, convincing my family and finding the right time to go,” she said.

This experience was one of the reasons that Chevrolet picked Moharak to be its brand ambassador. Moharak goal through this partnership is to become a more active role model on a wider audience and hopefully to be an example of the new generation of women. To be able to lead by example and show that there is nothing that we are not capable of doing or are not worthy of.

The Chief Marketing Officer General Motors Middle East, Molly Peck, said: “Being the first ever Saudi woman to climb Mount Everest and the seven summits, Raha is already a role model to many in the region and her personality not only complements the Chevrolet brand but also embodies our mantra of Finding New Roads, pushing boundaries and challenging the status quo.”

Peck explained that Moharak has similar values with Chevrolet. “She believes in possibilities – a value that sits at the core of our brand, which is why this partnership made perfect sense. We are very excited to have Raha join the Chevrolet family and are confident that this new partnership will allow us to explore different avenues to connect with and inspire people both in Saudi (Arabia) and the wider region,” Peck added.

When Peck was asked about some of the company plans for this year and the year after, he answered that like any industry, the automotive industry has challenges and opportunities that ebb and flow with market changes and customer needs, but he is proud to say that Saudi Arabia remains one of the company most important markets.

Moharak further said: “At General Motors, we believe in a future of three zeros: zero emissions, zero congestion and zero crashes. All our exciting vehicles today, and our innovative work across autonomous, electrification and connected vehicles, set us on this path and the changing landscape of transportation in the region and around the world. Looking at electric vehicles, we are already taking great strides in this space, having sold two Chevrolet Bolt EVs in the UAE ahead of its official launch in 2019.”

She mentioned that this launch sits side-by-side with the company ‘s exciting 2019 Chevrolet Silverado, which has been tried and tested in the region to ensure a safe and thrilling ride.

“We also continue to support all our customers across their ownership cycle, with our Chevrolet Complete Care always available to help 24/7 for any customer needs. Our plans remain the same as it always has, to continue bringing outstanding products and innovative solutions to our customers,” she added.