Projects
& Ventures
Beyond the mountains and oceans, Omar’s work continues in the form of ventures that reimagine how we travel, build, and belong.
From adventure companies and eco-lodges to advocacy and community journeys, these projects translate exploration into a way of living — one rooted in connection, meaning, and care for the planet.
Wild Guanabana
Ala Keifak
& Aseela
Advocacy
& Impact
Mongolia Journey 2025
(and Future Journeys)
1. Wild Guanabana
Redefining how people experience the world — and themselves.
Founded in 2009, Wild Guanabana (WG) designs transformative travel experiences that inspire people to reconnect with nature, culture, and community.
Its adventures span from the world’s most iconic landscapes — like Everest Base Camp, Kilimanjaro, and Patagonia — to hidden gems across the Middle East and North Africa.
WG also leads trail-development projects in the region, helping destinations design and implement sustainable hiking routes and guide programs — including the NEOM Trails Network and Red Sea eco-routes in Egypt.
Closer to home, it operates badw, a glamping experience in Sinai that blends Bedouin heritage with mindful simplicity and desert serenity.
“Travel doesn’t just change where you are — it changes who you become.”
2. Ala Keifak & Aseela
A living center for nature, connection, and belonging.
Ala Keifak is a hospitality and sustainability company co-founded by Omar, dedicated to creating spaces where people can slow down, reconnect, and experience nature in its truest form.
Its flagship project, Aseela, is an eco-lodge and marine conservation hub on the shores of Soma Bay, Egypt.
Aseela redefines regenerative tourism in the region — offering immersive stays that integrate hospitality, conservation, and education within one living ecosystem.
Nestled between sea and desert, Aseela is designed to protect and celebrate the natural heritage of the Red Sea, from coral reefs to migratory birds and native plants.
The project’s Conservation Hub will serve as a center for marine and terrestrial research, citizen science, and community engagement, developed in collaboration with partners such as HEPCA, Nature Conservation Egypt (NCE), and sustainability experts across Egypt and the region.
Built with passive cooling design, zero single-use plastic, and targeting EDGE certification, Aseela reflects a new paradigm in conscious travel — one that heals as it hosts.
“When we build in harmony with nature, we remember who we are.”
3. Advocacy & Impact
Adventure with purpose.
Omar’s exploration of the world has always been intertwined with his commitment to making it better.
Through his advocacy, he connects adventure with awareness — using storytelling, action, and empathy to inspire change across equality, the environment, and humanitarian issues.
His work focuses on three global pillars:
Refugees & Displacement
Gender Equality & Human Rights
Environmental & Climate Action
a. Refugees & Displacement
UNHCR – Goodwill Ambassador
Omar leverages his personal story of survival at sea to raise awareness for the plight of refugees and the human cost of forced displacement.
He has spoken globally on resilience, belonging, and empathy — emphasizing that the way humanity chooses to handle the refugee crisis will define future generations.
His Netflix documentary Beyond the Raging Sea and related Apple podcast series have reached tens of thousands of viewers, creating dialogue around displacement and solidarity.
His talks for UNHCR and global partners highlight the deep connection between adventure, privilege, and responsibility.
“The way humanity decides to handle the refugee crisis will dictate the fate of our planet for generations to come.”
3. The Seven Summits (2007–2013)
Mastery & Perseverance
Climbing Mount Everest is often described as the ultimate test of human endurance — not just a physical challenge, but a deep emotional and mental journey into the unknown. For Omar Samra, reaching the summit on May 17, 2007, was far more than a personal achievement. It was the culmination of years of preparation, sacrifice, and an unwavering belief that ordinary people can do extraordinary things when they commit fully to a dream.
Standing at 8,848 meters, Everest is not a mountain that welcomes people easily. It demands respect, patience, and humility. Omar spent years training his body and mind for the harsh realities of the climb: freezing winds that cut through layers, oxygen levels too thin for clear thought, and the constant risk that one wrong step could end everything. But he also trained for the quieter battles — the loneliness, the doubt, and the days when progress was painfully slow.
The expedition itself lasted weeks. Every day brought a new test: crossing the Khumbu Icefall with its shifting crevasses, navigating the dizzying heights of the Lhotse Face, and waiting out storms that made the mountain feel alive and unpredictable. At times, Omar found himself questioning not whether he would reach the summit, but whether he could keep going. Each challenge stripped life down to its simplest form: breathe, step, survive.
Yet in those moments of difficulty, he found clarity. The mountain forced him into stillness — a place where he learned to listen to his own resilience. He discovered that fear doesn’t vanish; it becomes something you move with rather than hide from. And he learned that sometimes courage is nothing more than taking one more step when every part of you wants to stop.
When Omar finally reached the summit, he wasn’t greeted by fanfare. Everest’s peak is quiet, almost surprisingly so. But in that silence, he felt the weight of everything it took to get there — the years of preparation, the countless sacrifices, and the people who believed in him even when the world said it was impossible. In that moment, he became the first Egyptian and youngest Arab to stand on top of the world.
Coming down the mountain was harder than climbing up, but he carried something new with him: the understanding that true achievement isn’t measured at the summit, but in the courage it takes to attempt the climb at all.
“Each summit felt smaller than the lesson it carried.”