Three hundred and eighty kilometres above the Earth, in a climate where external temperatures range from about 120°C to minus 150°C, a group of astronauts live in the International Space Station. The crew members exist in the most unearthly conditions imaginable but the modern world relies on their work.
In 2019, UAE astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri became the first Emirati beyond our atmosphere, after a trip to the ISS. The Arab world celebrated the moment as a revival of the Middle East's historic contribution to space exploration, decades after Saudi Prince Sultan bin Salman Al Saud became, in 1985, the first Arab, Muslim and member of a royal family to leave Earth. The latest milestone in the Mena region's story beyond the atmosphere came on Saturday, when the UAE announced that Nora Al Matrooshi, along with a male colleague, would be joining the country's space corps. She will be the first Arab woman astronaut.
In response to the news, Ms Al Matrooshi pledged to do her utmost to advance the nation's young and ever-growing space programme, saying in a tweet that "the nation has given me unforgettable moments today. I aim to work hard to script historical moments and achievements that will be etched forever in the memory of our people".
Mars has been a particular focus of national space programmes, with both the US and the UAE recently sending probes to the Red Planet. AFP
More than 550 astronauts have been in space, but only 65 were women
This is a win for all women in the Middle East, who now have a role model in the remarkable vocation of space travel. She represents the ambition of young Arabs, who, despite the variety of challenges they may face, continue to work, study, travel and innovate to break new ground. When it comes to Middle Eastern women in the skies, Ms Al Matrooshi is in good company. Other role models include Etihad Airways' Aisha Al Mansouri, the UAE's first female pilot of an Airbus A380, the world's largest passenger jet, and Anousheh Ansari, an Iranian-American businesswoman who in 2006 became the first female space tourist.
And for all humanity, Ms Al Matrooshi joins a sector that has at its foundation a culture of multilateral co-operation, in which different nationalities, regardless of what might be happening in earthly politics, work together to carry out remarkable tasks. A project such as the ISS would not succeed without the collaboration of its diverse staff. Her new journey will also help address the global gender imbalance of women in space. As of 2020, more than 550 astronauts had left Earth's atmosphere. Only 65 were women. The first spacewalk ever to take place was in 1965. The first all-female one only happened in 2019.
In an interview with The National, Ms Ansari spoke about the region's historic relationship with the stars, one that produced some of the earliest and most important astronomers in history. If the Middle East is to continue this tradition into the modern era, it is only fitting that its women should be part of the journey. But keeping in mind statistics that reveal hugely unequal gender representation in general, Ms Al Matrooshi's success is one for women worldwide.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
UAE jiu-jitsu squad
Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)
Sole survivors
Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
