UAE minister and record-setting astronaut Dr Sultan Al Neyadi held high-level talks with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade as part of a mission to bolster ties and strengthen ambitions in space.
Dr Al Neyadi, who serves as Minister of State for Youth Affairs, led an Emirati delegation to the Serbian capital on Friday. Fellow UAE astronauts Maj Hazza Al Mansouri and Mohammed Al Mulla were among those to make the trip.
Discussions focused on ways to expand co-operation across the youth, education, scientific research, technology and space science sectors, state news agency Wam reported.
Dr Al Neyadi took a giant leap into the history books when he spent six months on board the International Space Station in 2023 and became the first Arab astronaut to perform a spacewalk. He was appointed to his cabinet role in January 2024, aiming to provide a platform for progress for the next generation.
Dr Al Neyadi highlighted the UAE's stellar achievements in the space sector during the meeting in Belgrade. He was supported by Maj Al Mansouri, who in 2019 became the first Emirati astronaut to travel to space, and Mr Al Mulla, who joined the country's astronaut corps in 2021.
They outlined the UAE’s goals to develop national talent to advance the country's growing role in the global space sector and create opportunities for collaboration with Serbia. Mr Vucic emphasised the importance of further bolstering links between the countries.
Expanding relations
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Sultan Al Neyadi gives the thumbs up after leaving the Dragon capsule. Photo: Nasa -
Sultan Al Neyadi with, from left, Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, NASA astronaut Warren Hoburg and fellow US astronaut Stephen Bowen, inside the SpaceX Dragon capsule, on the recovery ship Megan, after splashdown. Photo: Nasa -
Ground crew enter the SpaceX Dragon capsule. Photo: Nasa -
The SpaceX capsule is lifted out of the water. Photo: Nasa -
Support teams work around the SpaceX Dragon capsule shortly after splashdown. Photo: Nasa -
The SpaceX Dragon capsule's parachutes are deployed to slow its descent. Photo: Nasa -
The SpaceX Dragon capsule travels back towards Earth. Photo: Nasa -
The International Space Station as seen by the SpaceX Dragon capsule after undocking. Photo: Nasa -
The rockets of the SpaceX Dragon capsule's firing immediately after leaving the International Space Station. Photo: Nasa -
A graphic published by Nasa to illustrate the SpaceX Dragon capsule's trajectory immediately after leaving the International Space Station. Photo: Nasa -
The Dragon capsule moves away from the International Space Station after undocking. The white light in the centre is an interior light of the capsule. Photo: Nasa -
The SpaceX Dragon capsule docked on the International Space Station. Photo: Nasa -
Ground control before the mission. Photo: Nasa -
Sultan Al Neyadi puts on his space suit before departing the International Space Station. Photo: Nasa -
The SpaceX Dragon capsule being prepared for departure from the International Space Station. Photo: Nasa -
Sultan Al Neyadi looks at Earth from the International Space Station before leaving. Photo: Sultan Al Neyadi / Twitter -
The Mubadala building in Abu Dhabi is lit up to mark Sultan Al Neyadi's return to Earth from the International Space Station. Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office -
The Mubadala building is lit up to mark Sultan Al Neyadi's return to Earth from the International Space Station. Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office
“The UAE continues to strengthen its approach to building constructive international partnerships founded on mutual trust, the integration of expertise and the exchange of knowledge," Dr Al Neyadi said of his Serbian visit. "This reflects the country’s belief that international co-operation is a fundamental pillar for accelerating development, advancing innovative solutions and empowering people to shape a prosperous future and create new opportunities.”
He also held talks with Serbian ministers and toured the Petnica Science Centre, where he was briefed on its research programmes. The Emirati minister delivered a lecture highlighting the UAE’s achievements in the space sector.
Staying in the space race
Dr Al Neyadi has combined his cabinet duties with an active role championing the country's space programme and its astronauts. Last month, the minister and Maj Al Mansouri completed Nasa's geology training in the US state of New Mexico, helping to boost the UAE's dreams of setting foot on the Moon and Mars in the future.
Nasa uses New Mexico for its geology courses because of its exposed rock and rugged terrain similar to that found on the Moon and the Red Planet. The training lasted two weeks and included "studying rocks, identifying their types and learning about the geological history of regions, in preparation for future missions”, the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre said.
Dr Al Neyadi expanded on his experience in a post on X. “This training is an important part of our preparations to explore new destinations, including the Moon,” he wrote. “It helps us learn how to assess the general geology of a region through direct field observations and the rock samples found there.”
