| THEREDSEA | On Oct. 12, Dr. Mariam Saleh bin Laden became the first woman to swim from Saudi Arabia to Egypt, crossing part of this body of water |
| PESACH | Pass over Peru going from Saudi Arabia to landlocked spot in Alps (6) |
| JAZZCELLIST | The 2022 MacArthur "genius grant" winners were announced on Oct. 12; Tomeka Reid, who is this type of musician, "draws from a range of musical traditions," per the award announcement |
| NYAD | Diana who was the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the aid of shark protection (2013) |
| SHARKCAGE | In 2013, Diana Nyad became the first known person to swim from Cuba to Florida without one of these protective devices |
| MEMBER | Saudi Arabia, to OPEC |
| WATLINGISLAND | Historic landfall: Oct. 12, 1492 |
| CHANNEL | In 1926 American Gertrude Ederle became the first woman to swim the English ... (in nearly two hours less than the previous record) |
| EDERLE | Gertrude, U.S. swimmer who became the first woman to swim across the English Channel in 1926 (6) |
| ENGLISHCHANNEL | Gertrude Ederle became the first woman to swim this in 1926, knocking two hours off the men's record |
| LEVANT | Name formerly given to the eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea from W. Greece to Egypt (6) |
| IRAN | Country across the Persian Gulf from Saudi Arabia |
| REDSEA | Body of water separating Egypt from Saudi Arabia (3,3) |
| MATERIAL | Cloth from China and money from Saudi Arabia? (8) |
| PERSIANGULF | Body of water that separates Iran from Saudi Arabia (7,4) |
| OIL | Big export from Saudi Arabia |
| SATEEN | Material for young person from Saudi Arabia (6) |
| LONDONOLYMPICS | *2012 event that featured female athletes from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Brunei |
| QATAR | Mideast country that juts out from Saudi Arabia |
| ALCATRAZISLAND | The swim from here to shore, made famous in a 1979 movie, really isn't that tough; experienced swimmers nowadays complete it in 20 minutes |
