Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi achieved a historic milestone on Friday as he became the first Arab astronaut to perform a spacewalk. Al Neyadi, also known as the “Sultan of Space”, is part of a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS) which began in March. Wearing a space suit bearing the Emirati flag, Alneyadi undertook the six-and-a-half-hour spacewalk alongside NASA astronaut Stephen Bowen to “change the Radio Frequency Group unit and prepare for the installation of solar panels”, according to the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) and NASA.
The UAE has quickly established itself in the field of space exploration, sending an unmanned spacecraft to Mars in 2021 and a rover to the Moon last year. The country has also lost a moon rover, named Rashid, which was carried by Japan’s Hakuto-R lunar lander. Despite the setback, Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, directed the MBRSC to begin work on a second rover, Rashid 2. Alneyadi’s spacewalk has been celebrated by the UAE as a historic achievement, marking a new era of space exploration for the Arab world.
The UAE’s space programme is part of a broader strategy to diversify its economy and reduce its dependence on oil. The country has invested heavily in developing its space capabilities and building partnerships with other countries in the field. The successful spacewalk by Alneyadi, a former military pilot, is seen as a major achievement and a source of national pride for the UAE. It is expected to inspire a new generation of Emirati students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, as the country aims to become a leading player in the global space industry.
