As it happened: Sultan Al Neyadi embarks on historic spacewalk
UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi has made history by becoming the first Arab to perform a spacewalk.
He completed a six-and-a-half hour spacewalk, after exiting the International Space Station on Friday at 5.41pm GST with his American colleague Stephen Bowen, and re-entered the orbiting laboratory at about 11.40pm.
The duo carried out two crucial tasks during their maintenance assignment, including preparing a structure on the station’s exterior for a future solar array installation.
A live stream by Nasa showed the astronauts tied only to a tether, as they floated in the darkness of space, doing intricate repair work while wearing a bulky spacesuit.
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed hailed the historic week the UAE has had in space exploration, including Friday's spacewalk.
"With this week’s new discoveries by the Hope probe, the achievements of the Rashid rover mission, and Sultan Al Neyadi’s first ever spacewalk by an Arab astronaut, the UAE continues to make a meaningful contribution to space exploration and advancements in science," Sheikh Mohammed said in a tweet.
On Monday, the Hope probe sent back landmark observations of Mars' tiny moon Deimos, helping to point out the rock's possible origins.
Rashid became the first Arab rover to enter lunar orbit, but on Tuesday it failed to reach the surface after the private spacecraft carrying it failed to touchdown on the Moon.
The busy week ended with Dr Al Neyadi's historic spacewalk.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, said on Twitter he was proud of Dr Al Neyadi for setting history.
“After three years of intensive training, today we saw Sultan Al Neyadi on the first mission to walk in outer space, carrying out tasks of installing new parts and maintenance on the International Space Station," Sheikh Mohammed said.
"The first Emirati, first Arab and first Muslim to walk in outer space ... proud of that.
"They say that two-thirds of the stars in the sky bear Arabic names. Arabs are capable... Arabs are coming... Arabs are creative, if we decide to focus on science and invest in youth."
First long-duration space mission by an Arab astronaut
Dr Al Neyadi arrived at the ISS on March 3 for a six-month mission – the Arab world’s first long duration space mission.
He is now an experienced astronaut, having carried out many different assignments that range from fixing the station’s onboard toilet, completing science experiments, doing professional-level photography and now a successful spacewalk.
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai and President of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, said on Twitter that the UAE’s space programme had achieved a new milestone with Dr Al Neyadi’s historic spacewalk.
“We extend our congratulations to the UAE's leadership, its people, and the entire region for this remarkable accomplishment,” he said.
We take great pride in this achievement and celebrate this momentous occasion. We also wish Sultan Al Neyadi a safe and successful mission.”
Sultan Al Neyadi's life on the International Space Station - in pictures
Dr Al Neyadi and Mr Bowen’s spacewalk had officially began at 5.11pm when their spacesuits switched to battery power.
While the spacesuits — known officially as extravehicular mobility units — weigh 127kg, astronauts cannot feel this weight in space.
Spacewalks are one of the riskiest activities astronauts do while on space missions.
They leave the comfort of the orbiting laboratory in bulky suits to conduct intricate work while floating in microgravity more than 400km above the Earth.
At the same time, the ISS is travelling at about 8km a second — completing an orbit of the planet in 90 minutes, though, astronauts cannot feel speed in space.
Troubleshooting during spacewalk
Dr Al Neyadi and Mr Bowen’s second and last big task during their spacewalk was to remove an old piece of communication hardware from the exterior of the ISS.
However, the radio frequency unit was never designed to be serviced during spacewalks, and so the pair struggled to remove it.
Mr Bowen used a drill to loosen the bolts and then Dr Al Neyadi used a hammer, but it did not budge.
Nasa spent some time troubleshooting the problem, but ultimately asked the astronauts to reinstall the hardware and head back to the airlock.
Spacewalks have a long history
Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov was the first person to make a spacewalk in 1965, when he left his capsule for 20 minutes during the Voskhod 2 mission.
But his step into the unknown went down in history as a near brush with death, as his spacesuit inflated moments after he stepped into space.
The following year, American astronaut Buzz Aldrin carried out a five-hour spacewalk.
In 1984, Soviet cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya became the first woman to perform a spacewalk.
The first all-female spacewalk took place in 2019, by Nasa astronauts Jessica Meir and Christina Koch.
The specs
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Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
The specs
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Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
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Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
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Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
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Director: Zoya Akhtar
Producer: Excel Entertainment & Tiger Baby
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi
Rating: 4/5 stars
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
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Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
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Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Four-day collections of TOH
Day Indian Rs (Dh)
Thursday 500.75 million (25.23m)
Friday 280.25m (14.12m)
Saturday 220.75m (11.21m)
Sunday 170.25m (8.58m)
Total 1.19bn (59.15m)
(Figures in millions, approximate)
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
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UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
Asia Cup Qualifier
Final
UAE v Hong Kong
TV:
Live on OSN Cricket HD. Coverage starts at 5.30am
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
