Two Saudi astronauts are set to return to Earth today, after spending eight days on the International Space Station carrying out several science experiments.
Rayyanah Barnawi, 33, made history as the first Arab woman to go on a space mission when she and her colleague, Ali Al Qarni, 31, headed to the ISS on a SpaceX rocket on May 22.
They were the first Saudis to go to space in about 40 years, after Prince Sultan bin Salman's trip on-board a Nasa space shuttle in 1985.
Ms Barnawi and Mr Al Qarni, along with two American astronauts, will undock from the orbiting outpost at 7.05pm, GST.
“The four-member multinational astronaut crew is scheduled to undock no earlier than 11.05am EDT Tuesday, May 30, from the space-facing port of the station’s Harmony module in a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to begin the journey home and splashdown off the coast of Florida,” Nasa said.
How to watch
A farewell ceremony for the Saudi astronauts took place on-board the ISS on Monday evening. It was streamed live by Axiom Space – the Houston company that helped to arrange the private trip.
Nasa, SpaceX and Axiom Space will also live-stream the astronauts' departure on their websites and social media channels.
The Nasa broadcast will begin at 5pm on Tuesday, when the closure of the Dragon spacecraft's hatch will take place.
The capsule is scheduled to undock from the ISS at 7.05pm.
Axiom Space will resume the broadcast when splashdown takes place, which could be about 10 hours later. The exact time will be announced by SpaceX, closer to when it is happening.
Saudi and UAE astronauts teamed up
During their stay on the ISS, the two Saudis worked together with UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi, who is there on a six-month mission.
Ms Barnawi, a research scientist, was assigned a few studies on life sciences, including research on stem and immune cells.
“Life science for the benefit of human beings living on and off the Earth once again filled the research schedule aboard the International Space Station for the Expedition 69 and Axiom Mission-2 crew members,” Nasa said.
“Al Neyadi partnered with Barnawi during the morning treating human cell samples inside the Kibo laboratory module’s Life Science Glovebox for a study observing their inflammatory response to microgravity.”
Stunning views from the station
Ms Barnawi and Mr Al Qarni have been posting several images on social media of their home country that they captured from the station.
“The whole kingdom is shining. Here, you can see Makkah,” she said in the video posted on her Twitter account on Friday.
Earlier this week, the history-making space explorer also posted an image of herself wearing her grandmother's earrings on-board the orbiting laboratory.
Mr Al Qarni posted a night time image of Riyadh on Sunday.
“Good evening, people of Riyadh. This is a photo I took of our capital from the ISS,” he tweeted.
The Saudi Space Commission – the kingdom's space agency – hopes that this would be the first of many space missions by Saudi Arabia.
The kingdom announced a long-term astronaut programme last year, with citizens currently in its astronaut corps.
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5 of the most-popular Airbnb locations in Dubai
Bobby Grudziecki, chief operating officer of Frank Porter, identifies the five most popular areas in Dubai for those looking to make the most out of their properties and the rates owners can secure:
• Dubai Marina
The Marina and Jumeirah Beach Residence are popular locations, says Mr Grudziecki, due to their closeness to the beach, restaurants and hotels.
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
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Two bedroom: Dh627 to Dh960
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• Downtown
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Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
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Two bedroom: Dh646 to Dh1,003
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• City Walk
The rising star of the Dubai property market, this area is lined with pristine sidewalks, boutiques and cafes and close to the new entertainment venue Coca Cola Arena. “Downtown and Marina are pretty much the same prices,” Mr Grudziecki says, “but City Walk is higher.”
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
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Two bedroom: Dh682 to Dh1,052
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• Jumeirah Lake Towers
Dubai Marina’s little brother JLT resides on the other side of Sheikh Zayed road but is still close enough to beachside outlets and attractions. The big selling point for Airbnb renters, however, is that “it’s cheaper than Dubai Marina”, Mr Grudziecki says.
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
One bedroom: Dh422 to Dh629
Two bedroom: Dh549 to Dh818
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• Palm Jumeirah
Palm Jumeirah's proximity to luxury resorts is attractive, especially for big families, says Mr Grudziecki, as Airbnb renters can secure competitive rates on one of the world’s most famous tourist destinations.
Frank Porter’s average Airbnb rent:
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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Formula 2 race: 1:35pm
Formula 1 race: 5:10pm
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