Abu Dhabi, UAE – The UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum have hailed the return of the astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi as a moment of national pride for the UAE.
They greeted Al Neyadi upon his arrival at the new Abu Dhabi International Airport following a flight from the US, where he has been since returning from his historic six-month mission aboard the International Space Station. In honour of his return, the UAE’s Al Fursan aerobatic team performed a flypast over the airport after his flight landed.
Sheikh Mohamed and Mohammed bin Rashid spent time in conversation with Al Neyadi – accompanied by his father and three of his children – and discussed aspects of the mission and his experience during his time in space. They congratulated him for completing the longest ever space flight by an Arab astronaut and becoming the first Arab to perform a spacewalk. They also hailed Sultan as an inspiration to young people across the UAE and the world, and remarked that his pioneering achievement reflected the boundless ambitions of the nation.
Sheikh Mohamed noted that the people of the UAE are united in pride for the remarkable achievement, while Mohammed bin Rashid described Sultan’s mission as not only a notable milestone in the UAE’s scientific advancements, but also a reflection of the nation’s priority of investing in its people, which began under the founding fathers and continues today.
The UAE astronaut thanked the president and the Dubai ruler for their ongoing support for the UAE’s space programme, and then presented the President with a UAE flag that had accompanied him throughout his 186-day mission to the ISS.
Sheikh Mohamed and Mohammed bin Rashid then addressed team members from the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, accompanied by Sultan Al Neyadi and other members of the UAE Astronaut Programme. They thanked all those responsible for the success of this most recent mission and commended the teams involved in previous missions – including Hazza Al Mansouri’s trip to the ISS, the Emirates Lunar Mission, and the Mars Mission ‘Hope Probe’ – and those working on the forthcoming Mission to the Asteroid Belt and the Mars 2117 programme.
Mohammed bin Rashid said that the UAE aims to develop more young men and women as astronauts to enable further scientific research and exploration, both in space and on Earth.
To mark the homecoming, a large reception ceremony was held at the new Abu Dhabi Airport terminal, celebrating Sultan Al Neyadi’s accomplishments and his return to the UAE. The ceremony was attended by school children dressed in astronaut flight suits, government employees, and members of the public. Sultan was greeted by a performance of the traditional Al Ayyala dance and the audience waving UAE flags and applauding, demonstrating the depth of pride and celebration felt by the people of the nation.