UOB Hosts an Inspiring Dialogue with Emirati Astronauts Sultan Al-Neyadi and Hazzaa Al-Mansouri

Sakhir – University of Bahrain (Khadijah Abdusalem)

3 July 2024

The University of Bahrain (UOB) hosted an inspiring dialogue meeting with the Emirati astronauts, H.E Dr. Sultan bin Saif Al-Neyadi, Minister of State for Youth Affairs, and Mr. Hazza Ali Al-Mansouri, Director of the Astronaut Office at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC). This took place within their presence in the Kingdom of Bahrain to participate in the sixth edition of the International Space Forum, which is held for the first time in the Middle East and North Africa region at the ministerial level, under the title “Space as a game-changer for diplomacy and economic development in the region”.

In his welcoming speech, His Excellency Mr. Fahad Mohammed Salem Kardous Al-Ameri, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Kingdom of Bahrain, expressed his delight at this meeting, which reflects the two countries’ common interest in future sciences and developing the space sector. He stressed that the meeting provides young people with the opportunity to be inspired by successful experiences from leading models in the field of space, and confirms their role as a contributing element in leading the process of knowledge and innovation.

The meeting highlighted the close cooperation between the UAE and Bahrain in the field of space, as His Excellency the Ambassador indicated that the UAE continues to enhance its scientific contributions in the field of space in cooperation with its partners, the most prominent of which is the Kingdom of Bahrain. In addition, he touched on the participation of two members of the Bahrain’s space team, which is affiliated with the National Space Science Authority (NSSA), in building and designing the Emirati mini-satellite “DhabiSat,” in addition to the successful arrival of the “Light 1” satellite to the International Space Station as a result of constructive cooperation between NSSA in the Kingdom of Bahrain and the UAE Space Agency.

Moreover, the astronaut, H.E Dr. Sultan Al-Neyadi, Minister of State for Youth Affairs, spoke about his exceptional experience as the first Arab astronaut to participate in conducting 200 scientific experiments in space in many fields, in addition to his participation in the first spacewalk in the history of the Arabs – for 7 hours and 1 minute – in order to work on a series of preparatory tasks for installing solar panels. In addition to some segments of the “Zayed Ambition 2” mission, which lasted 6 months.

For his part, astronaut Hazzaa Al-Mansouri, Director of the Astronaut Office at MBRSC, gave a comprehensive presentation on the “UAE Astronaut Programme”, which was launched by MBRSC in 2017, in addition to an introduction to the International Space Station (ISS) and his experiences and scientific research there. Furthermore, he referred to his experience during the training period, his selection as the first Emirati astronaut alongside astronaut Sultan Al-Neyadi, out of more than four thousand participants, and the “Zayed Ambition” space mission.

The dialogue meeting was held in the Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Hall on the University’s campus in cooperation with the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Manama, the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, and NSSA, and in the presence of His Excellency Mr. Salem Humaid Al Marri, Director General of MBRSC, and a significant presence of university students, faculty members, school students and guests from various sectors. The meeting witnessed great interaction from the attendees, as they had the opportunity to raise questions and inquiries to the astronauts on various aspects of life in space and the scientific experiments that are conducted there.