Saudi astronaut Rayyanah Barnawi is now expecting to lift off from Earth on May 22. Photo: Axiom Space
Saudi astronaut Rayyanah Barnawi is now expecting to lift off from Earth on May 22. Photo: Axiom Space
Saudi astronaut Rayyanah Barnawi is now expecting to lift off from Earth on May 22. Photo: Axiom Space
Saudi astronaut Rayyanah Barnawi is now expecting to lift off from Earth on May 22. Photo: Axiom Space

Saudi Arabia's first female astronaut will travel to ISS on May 22


Sarwat Nasir
  • English
  • Arabic

Two Saudi astronauts are now expected to travel to the International Space Station on May 22, after the trip was postponed by two weeks.

Rayyanah Barnawi, the first Saudi woman astronaut, and Ali Al Qarni were scheduled to launch on May 9, but the flight to the ISS was disrupted after another launch was delayed last month.

They are part of the Axiom Space 2 mission, which also includes former Nasa astronaut Peggy Whitson and American pilot John Shoffner.

Nasa announced the target date on Saturday, and that a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket would lift off from Florida at 1.37am GST (May 21, 5.37pm ET).

This will be about a 10-day trip to the orbiting laboratory and will be the first mission for Saudi Arabia's new astronaut programme.

They will join UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi, who is on board the station for a six-month mission.

The trip for the kingdom comes nearly 40 years after it sent its first citizen, Prince Sultan bin Salman, into orbit on Nasa's Space Shuttle for a week-long stay.

Ms Barnawi will become the first Arab woman on the ISS. Egyptian engineer Sara Sabry became the first Arab woman in space when she travelled on a Blue Origin space tourism flight in August of last year.

Saudi Space Commission — the kingdom's space agency — is trying to establish a sustainable space programme this time.

Ms Barnawi and Mr Al Qarni could be the first of a long list of astronauts that Saudi Arabia hopes to recruit.

Mishaal Ashemimry, the microgravity research leader at the Saudi Space Commission, said last month that the kingdom is considering long-duration space missions.

“We do have a desire and a goal to have long-stay missions that will capitalise on that microgravity environment,” she said.

“That's essentially what we would like to do with this human space flight programme.

“In doing so, we will train many astronauts, we will engage a lot of local entities to do a lot of research.

“We will also strengthen our international research partnerships in work on microgravity that spans from human health to physical science.”

During this trip, the two Saudi astronauts will be carrying out several science experiments assigned to them by Saudi-based universities.

Saudi astronauts prepare for ISS mission — in pictures

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  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm

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Transmission: 6-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km

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More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

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What the law says

Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.

“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”

If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.

Updated: May 22, 2023, 7:53 AM