Al Ain ready to welcome hometown hero Sultan Al Neyadi back from space

Residents are eagerly awaiting the Emirati astronaut's return to celebrate his stellar accomplishments

Al Sanawbar School is celebrating Sultan Al Neyadi's space mission by decorating the building with posters and pupils' artwork. Al Sanawbar School

Dr Al Neyadi, pictured with his nephew, Mohammed Saif Al Neyadi, standing slightly in front of him, at an astronaut event also attended by Hazza Al Mansouri. Photo: Al Sanawbar School

Fatima Alblooshi, a freshman at UAE University studying aerospace engineering, hopes to follow in Dr Al Neyadi's footsteps one day. Photo: Fatima Alblooshi

Wadima Mohammed, a sophomore studying aerospace engineering at UAE University, looks up to Dr Al Neyadi and feels proud to be from Al Ain. Photo: Wadima Mohammed

Naila Saif Al Neyadi, second from left, participates in her school's morning assembly, which celebrated Dr Al Neyadi space mission. Photo: Naila Saif Al Neyadi

Adel Alobeidli, principal of Um Ghafa School in Al Ain. Photo: Adel Alobeidli

A pupil at Al Sanawbar School holds a picture of Dr Al Neyadi in celebration of his space mission. Al Sanawbar School

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Al Ain is planning a hero's welcome for Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi when he arrives back in the UAE.

Dr Al Neyadi has regularly paid homage to his hometown during his six-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

In April, he posted a picture of Al Ain from space and in May, he celebrated his birthday with a live call from the ISS, during which he revealed that he missed his mother's cooking.

Like many from Al Ain, his family have been closely watching his progress since he arrived in space on March 3.

His niece and nephew, Naila Saif Al Neyadi, 14, and Mohammed Saif Al Neyadi, 13, both spoke of their pride as their uncle prepares to arrive back on Earth on Monday morning.

I felt he brought honour to our tribe. I'm immensely proud of my uncle's accomplishment.

Mohammed Saif Al Neyadi,
nephew of Emirati astronaut

Naila and Mohammed, both pupils at Al Sanawbar School in Al Ain, participated in a special celebration on Friday

“My relationship with my uncle is very good. We meet on Fridays, sit down together, laugh and talk a lot,” Naila told The National.

“I am very proud of him; this is amazing for the UAE and all Arabs.

“We are so excited to see him, and we are definitely going to celebrate our uncle's accomplishment and tell him how proud we are of him.”

Joy for family

Mohammed said he was excited about seeing his uncle again.

“The first thing I want to do when I see him is to take a picture with him,” Mohammed said.

“When it was revealed that he would venture into space, I felt he brought honour to our tribe. I'm immensely proud of my uncle's accomplishment.”

Dr Al Neyadi's father also paid homage to his son's pioneering feats - and said he was looking forward to welcoming him home.

In a video shared by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre on social media, Saif Al Neyadi said that Dr Al Neyadi has "raised the UAE flag high".

“This is a milestone in the history of the Arabs and the UAE, and for you as well,” he said.

“We are all excited and eagerly awaiting your safe return, raising high the flag of the UAE and making our President – our leader, teacher and source of inspiration – His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, along with the Rulers of the Emirates, as well as Emiratis and Arabs all proud.

"We wish you success. We are excited to welcome you after your safe return and celebrate your achievements."

Mohamed Alarabi Abdalbadi, standing left, Mubarak Al Saadi, standing right, Islamic studies teacher and current principal at Khalid Bin Waleeed School, and Jasim Al Hadidi, seated, history teacher, were some of Sultan Al Neyadi's teachers. Photo: Mohamed Abdalbadi

A native of Um Ghafa in Al Ain city, his journey to space has left an indelible mark not only on space exploration but also on those in his hometown.

He attended primary and secondary school at Um Ghafa School and has maintained strong relationships with his classmates and teachers.

Adel Alobeidli, the principal of Um Ghafa School, said Dr Al Neyadi's journey will inspire future pupils to achieve greater feats.

“We take immense pride in Sultan Al Neyadi, who hails from the UAE and the Arab world, for embarking on an extensive six-month mission in space,” Dr Alobeidli told The National.

“Notably, he comes from Al Ghafa and spent over a decade studying at our school.

“This achievement brings pride to both us and our students. We welcome the prospect of having more individuals like Sultan Al Neyadi, be it in medicine, space exploration or engineering.”

The impact of Dr Al Neyadi's journey extends to those who have already followed a career path in aviation and space.

Wadima Mohammed is a sophomore at UAE University studying aerospace engineering.

“I look up to him and when I knew he was from Al Ain like me, I was really proud. He is all I've been talking about,” she said.

“I keep checking the updates on the website, and when he is back, my professor and classmates are going to see it live and celebrate together.”

Fatima Alblooshi, a freshman at UAE University who is also studying aerospace engineering, said Dr Al Neyadi's journey has been inspirational.

“I imagine myself on a rocket just like Sultan Al Neyadi heading to space,” she said.

“Learning that Sultan Al Neyadi was going to venture into space gave me an extra push to study aerospace engineering.

“Knowing that he's local from the UAE made me proud and motivated me to aim high. Seeing him realise his ambitions encouraged me to stay on course, with the hope of one day sharing a similar destiny.”