From salt domes and jagged mountains to man-made lakes and unique structures – all seven emirates of the UAE have been captured in stunning images taken from space.
While Dubai's Palm Jumeirah is one of the most photographed landmarks from the International Space Station, there are many more remarkable structures and natural wonders throughout the Emirates that have been captured by astronauts and satellites over the years.
The National has highlighted 30 of the most eye-catching views of the UAE from space.
Nasa's Earth Observatory has images of weather occurrences that are common in the Middle Eastern region, such as dust storms.
KhalifaSat, the first Emirati-built satellite, has captured some of the most famous landmarks in the UAE over the years, including Sharjah’s largest mosque and the Jebel Jais mountain in Ras Al Khaimah.
Astronauts have captured images of the Arabian Gulf, including the Emirates, from the space station, especially during the night when the country is well-lit.
Nasa astronaut Jessica Meir took a photograph of Abu Dhabi two months after Emirati astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri returned to Earth from his eight-day stay on the ISS.
“The very first astronaut from the United Arab Emirates launched to space this year – in the same rocket as me. Thinking about my new colleagues and friends (Hazza Al Mansouri and Sultan Al Neyadi) made my view even more spectacular. Goodnight, Abu Dhabi,” she tweeted at the time.
Stunning images of the Middle East from space - in pictures
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On November 26 2020, an astronaut captured this photo of the northwest coastline of Saudi Arabia, home to 260 coral reef species. The image shows the Red Sea on the right, a lagoon in the middle and the coral reef on the left side. All photos courtesy of Earth Observatory at Nasa -
UAE’s first astronaut in space, Hazza Al Mansouri, captured this photo of the Emirates during his eight-day trip on the International Space Station. Courtesy: Hazza Al Mansouri Twitter -
Kuwait photographed from space during the night. The Arabian Gulf is on the top right side and the Kuwait Bay is on the left. -
Thunderclouds march past the Al Qassim region of central Saudi Arabia on April 13, 2016. Nasa reported the storm clouds were likely related to the heavy rainfall and flooding in Yemen during that time. -
An astronaut captured a photograph of the port city in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in 2017. -
The Arabian Gulf photographed from the space station -
A dusty atmosphere over central Saudi Arabia in 2014. The dunes in Riyadh are visible from space -
Nasa astronaut Scott Kelly captured an image of Dubai’s lights during the night. Courtesy: Scott Kelly Twitter -
A dust plume surging over the Red Sea and reaching Saudi Arabia in 2013. The Nile River is visible on the top left side of the image. -
Turkish city of Istanbul at night -
The Pearl-Qatar, a man-made island in Doha, is visible from space. An astronaut captured this photograph in 2017 -
The city of Madinah in Saudi Arabia -
The Levant region captured from space -
Es Safa, a basaltic volcanic field in southeast of Damascus, Syria, photographed from space in 2010. It is the largest volcanic field on the Arabian tectonic plate. -
Port of Aden in Yemen -
The Strait of Tiran, which separates the Gulf of Aqaba from the Red Sea, captured from space in 2013 -
The southeastern margin of the Empty Quarter, also known as the Ar Rub’ al Khali, in Oman. An astronaut took this photo in 2011 -
Lake Dukan, shaped almost like a Christmas tree, in Iraq photographed from space in 2018. -
A dust storm over the Arabian gulf in August, 2008 -
Damascus, Syria, photographed from space in 2013
