News

UAE Astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi Prepares To Return To Earth

The six-month mission aboard the International Space Station will end with a splashdown off the Florida coast on September 3rd.

Published

3 years ago

August 31, 2023

Nour Nasir

uae astronaut sultan al neyadi prepares to return to earth

UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi will end his six-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS) on September 3rd, entering the record books for conducting the longest-ever Arab space expedition.

According to NASA, Crew-6 (which includes Al Neyadi), will board a SpaceX Dragon craft before detaching from the ISS on September 2nd. After reentering Earth’s atmosphere, the spacecraft will splashdown off the Florida coast on September 3rd.

In a few days, @Astro_Alneyadi is set to return to Earth after the completion of the longest Arab space mission in history, during which he conducted over 200 scientific experiments.@MBRSpaceCentre pic.twitter.com/yltIwKtSAq

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) August 29, 2023

During his time aboard the International Space Station, Al Neyadi has conducted over 200 scientific experiments, with the latest round of tests forming part of a host-pathogen study. The experiments aim to better understand how the immune systems of astronauts interact with microbial pathogens living within the ISS environment.

The study also explored how dormant pathogens, such as those responsible for chickenpox and shingles, affect immunity once activated.

Adnan Al Rais, the UAE Astronaut Program’s Mission Manager, was keen to emphasize the significance of Al Neyadi’s research in advancing space biology, noting that it could enhance our ability to safeguard future ISS crews and contribute to their healthcare.

Also Read: Abu Dhabi-Developed AI Arabic Language Model Unveiled

Sultan Al Neyadi’s participation in this groundbreaking set of experiments has set a new benchmark for space science. Samples indicating suppressed immune states were also gathered and frozen onboard the ISS in the hope they could eventually offer cures for viral infections back on Earth.

The UAE’s Astronaut Program is part of a wider National Space Program funded by the ICT Fund of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA). UAE officials hope that space missions will support research and development in the ICT sector and enhance the Emirate’s global presence in this increasingly important field.

Related Topics:NASA Space Sultan Al Neyadi United Arab Emirates

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YouTube Rolls Out Supervised Children’s Accounts Across MENA

An industry-first feed timer lets parents cap Shorts scrolling. Access can also be switched off entirely ahead of exam season.

Published

11 hours ago

July 10, 2026

Dana Saadeh

YouTube

YouTube has launched supervised kid accounts across the Middle East and North Africa, giving parents a way to hand their children the main YouTube app without handing over all of it. Announced in Dubai on July 2, the accounts are built directly into the platform rather than the standalone YouTube Kids app, and are aimed at families who feel a child has outgrown the curated library but isn’t ready for the open feed.

Parents can choose from three content settings, each broadly aligned with international content ratings. Explore covers educational videos, tutorials, arts and crafts, and dance. Explore More adds gaming and live streams. Most of YouTube opens up almost everything except videos rated 18+ or deemed inappropriate for supervised accounts.

The standout tool is an industry-first Shorts feed timer, which lets parents set daily limits on short-form scrolling. Set it to zero and Shorts disappears altogether – a lever YouTube suggests parents might pull ahead of exam season. Other protections are on by default for all users under 18: “Take a Break” and “Bedtime” reminders, no personalized ad targeting, autoplay switched off, and no ability to upload videos or write comments. The accounts are optional, and parents can end supervision at any time.

The kid accounts join supervised teen accounts already available across the region, which notify parents by email when a teenager uploads a video or starts a live stream.

“YouTube has been a huge part of families’ lives across this region for over 20 years,” said Javid Aslanov, head of YouTube Middle East and North Africa, citing Kantar research showing 95% of viewers in Saudi Arabia and the UAE agree YouTube has top content in education and learning.

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“It’s essential that we protect young people in – not from – the digital world,” added Garth Graham, YouTube’s head of health.

The new settings are rolling out gradually across the MENA, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, and Iraq. The latest features can be set up through Family Center in the YouTube app or via Google Family Link.