How Sultan Al Neyadi’s mission underscores the UAE’s space ambitions

Sultan Al Neyadi is the first Arab to serve on the International Space Station for a six-month mission, the first Arab to perform a spacewalk and one of the first two astronauts from the UAE, along with Hazza Al Mansouri. Dr Al Neyadi has joined a very select group of people, becoming one of only 270 people from 21 different countries to have visited the International Space Station. His stint in orbit was a milestone for the UAE and a symbol of the country’s ambitions in the realm of science and exploration. So what does this mission mean for the UAE’s future astronauts? And what’s next for Arab space exploration? On this episode, host Sarwat Nasir dissects just what such missions mean for the UAE and what kind of legacy Dr Al-Neyadi will have.