A new crew is set to launch to the International Space Station on Friday to take over from UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi and his three colleagues.
Crew-7, which includes astronauts from the US, Denmark and Japan, as well as a cosmonaut from Russia, will blast off aboard a SpaceX rocket from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.
A handover ceremony will be held a few days after they arrive on the orbiting outpost for their six-month mission.
The completion of the ceremony means Dr Al Neyadi, who arrived on the ISS on March 3, will be allowed to return back to Earth, with his departure currently set for September 1.
Crew-7's launch was approved during an online media briefing held by Nasa and SpaceX on Monday.
Amer Al Sayegh, one of the assistant director generals at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre – which oversees the UAE's astronaut programme – said during the briefing that they were ready to bring Dr Al Neyadi home.
“This brings us closer to the launch of Crew-7 and the return of Crew-6, which includes UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi,” he said.
“This is the second UAE human space flight mission and first long-duration mission, and we're very proud of Sultan for taking part in this.
“He's taken part in more than 200 experiments and they've been very instrumental in allowing us to reach out to the scientific community.”
Dr Al Neyadi will return aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, along with Nasa astronauts Stephen Bowen and Woody Hoburg and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.
They will undock from the station next Friday to begin a 24-hour journey back to Earth, with a splashdown to take place off the coast of Florida.
Nasa said in a statement on Monday that the departing crew have started their preparations for the long trip.
“The soon-to-be departing quartet reviewed their departure activities and Dragon deorbit procedures on computer tablets at the end of the day on Monday,” Nasa said.
“Bowen, Hoburg, and Al Neyadi also tried on specialised garments, also known as orthostatic intolerance garments, that will help their bodies readapt to Earth’s gravity shortly after returning.”
Dr Al Neyadi will spend the first several days of being back on Earth undergoing medical tests in the US.
He is then expected to return to the UAE for a short while to participate in ceremonies being held in his honour.
The father of six has entered into the history books as the first Arab astronaut to go on an extended space mission and the first to perform a spacewalk.
He followed in the footsteps of his colleague Hazza Al Mansouri, who in 2019 became the first Emirati astronaut in space.
When Maj Al Mansouri returned from his eight-day mission to the ISS, he was received by President Sheikh Mohamed, with a small celebration held on his behalf.
Once Dr Al Neyadi is back in the UAE for a longer stay, he is expected to take part in a roadshow, travelling across the country and abroad to speak to schoolchildren about his experiences.
The UAE astronaut corps has two other members – Nora Al Matrooshi, the first Emirati woman to be selected as an astronaut, and Mohammed Al Mulla.
They are currently training at the Johnson Space Centre in Houston, Texas, and are expected to graduate early next year.
Once they finish their training, they will become eligible for US-led missions to space.
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
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Martin Sabbagh profile
Job: CEO JCDecaux Middle East
In the role: Since January 2015
Lives: In the UAE
Background: M&A, investment banking
Studied: Corporate finance
The drill
Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.
Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”
Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”
Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.”
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
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UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – UAE won by 36 runs
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
if you go
The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.
The trip
Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Profile of VoucherSkout
Date of launch: November 2016
Founder: David Tobias
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers
Sector: Technology
Size: 18 employees
Stage: Embarking on a Series A round to raise $5 million in the first quarter of 2019 with a 20 per cent stake
Investors: Seed round was self-funded with “millions of dollars”
Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
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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