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UAE Selects Sultan Al-Neyadi to Embark on 6-Month Space Station Journey

UAE astronaut Sultan al-Neyadi (Asharq Al-Awsat)
UAE astronaut Sultan al-Neyadi (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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UAE Selects Sultan Al-Neyadi to Embark on 6-Month Space Station Journey

UAE astronaut Sultan al-Neyadi (Asharq Al-Awsat)
UAE astronaut Sultan al-Neyadi (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The United Arab Emirates announced Monday selecting astronaut Sultan al-Neyadi to participate in the first long-term mission to the International Space Station (ISS), as part of a NASA, Space-X and Crew-6 mission that will launch in spring 2023.

Neyadi will spend six months aboard the ISS, during which he will conduct many in-depth and advanced scientific experiments as part of the UAE Astronaut Program.

The program aims to train and prepare a team of Emirati astronauts and send them to space to carry out various scientific missions.

Neyadi's mission came after the signing of a strategic partnership agreement in April between the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre and Axiom Space, a US company specializing in space flights and the development of space infrastructure.

President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, said the UAE is strengthening its stature in the space sector, due to its people's determination and ambition.

They stressed that Neyadi represents an honorable model for the Emirati and Arab youth and will be an ambassador for all Arabs in the space race, stressing that the country is establishing the foundations of this vital sector by supplying it with qualified national cadres, launching further scientific projects related to space exploration, and supporting related industries.

The President congratulated the Emirati people on Neyadi’s selection for the mission, noting that the UAE has become the 11th country in history to participate in a long-term mission to space.

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US Moves to Protect All Species of Pangolin, World’s Most Trafficked Mammal

A Malaysian pangolin walks past cages containing 45 others as a wildlife officer watches in Kuala Lumpur August 8, 2002. (Reuters)
A Malaysian pangolin walks past cages containing 45 others as a wildlife officer watches in Kuala Lumpur August 8, 2002. (Reuters)
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US Moves to Protect All Species of Pangolin, World’s Most Trafficked Mammal

A Malaysian pangolin walks past cages containing 45 others as a wildlife officer watches in Kuala Lumpur August 8, 2002. (Reuters)
A Malaysian pangolin walks past cages containing 45 others as a wildlife officer watches in Kuala Lumpur August 8, 2002. (Reuters)

The United States on Monday moved to extend federal protections to all species of pangolins -- a step that would tighten trade restrictions and highlight the urgent conservation plight of the world's only scaly mammals.

Found in the forests, woodlands, and savannas of Africa and Asia, pangolins are small, nocturnal creatures known for their distinctive appearance, slow and peaceful demeanor, and habit of curling into a ball when threatened.

Often likened to a walking pinecone, they use long, sticky tongues to feast on ants and termites, give birth to a single pup each year -- and are the most heavily trafficked mammals on Earth. Their keratin scales are coveted in traditional medicine, and their meat is also considered a delicacy in some regions.

Despite steep population declines driven by poaching, habitat loss, and inbreeding, only one species -- Temminck's pangolin of Africa -- is currently protected under the US Endangered Species Act. Monday's proposal by the US Fish and Wildlife Service would extend that status to all eight known species.

In a statement, the agency said it intends to list the four Asian species -- Chinese, Indian, Sunda, and Philippine -- as well as the three other African species: white-bellied, black-bellied, and giant pangolins.

"I'm delighted the United States is doing its part to save these adorably odd creatures," said Sarah Uhlemann, international program director at the Center for Biological Diversity.

"Pangolins are on the razor's edge of extinction, and we need to completely shut down any US market for their scales. There's no good reason for anybody to ingest any part of a pangolin."

Pangolins are currently protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which prohibits international trade for commercial purposes and allows it only under exceptional circumstances.

Still, the illegal trade persists.

In April, Nigerian authorities seized nearly four tons of trafficked pangolin scales, representing the slaughter of some 2,000 animals. In November 2024, Indonesian officials intercepted another 1.2 tons.

US demand remains a factor. Between 2016 and 2020, border officials intercepted 76 shipments of pangolin parts, including scales and products marketed for traditional medicine, according to public data.