Twenty stunning images of the Middle East captured from space

Astronauts have sent back incredible pictures of the region for many years

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

From dramatic dunes and eye-catching lakes to coral reefs and huge dust storms, astronauts in space have been capturing the wonders of the Middle East for many years.

The Earth Observatory by Nasa has hundreds of images on its website taken from the International Space Station.

The UAE's first astronaut, Hazza Al Mansouri, also tweeted a selection of striking photos of his homeland and other countries in the region during his time in space.

Other spectacular snapshots show thunder clouds over Saudi Arabia, volcanic fields in Syria and dust storms sweeping across the Arabian Gulf.

The National has highlighted 20 picture-perfect scenes of the Middle East captured from space over the years.

“From their orbiting home on the International Space Station, astronauts have a view unlike anything most of us will ever see,” Nasa’s Earth Observatory said.

“In the past 20 years, they have shot millions of photographs, and it is not just a hobby. It is an important scientific job, and one they need to be trained to do.

“So, the astronauts and the Earth Science and Remote Sensing team work together before, during and after every mission to get the most out of every shot.”

Images captured by UAE satellite KhalifaSat - in pictures 

UAE satellite KhalifaSat captures a stunning image of Sharjah's largest mosque. Courtesy: Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre

KhalifaSat captures Jebel Jais from space. Courtesy MBR Space Centre

A photo of Love Lake in Dubai taken by UAE-made satellite KhalifaSat. Courtesy: Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre

An image of the Grand Mosque of Makkah was taken by KhalifaSat on the first day of Eid Al Adha during the 2019 Hajj pilgrimage. Wam

Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome in 2019. Courtesy: Dubai Media Office

An aerial image of Palm Jumeirah, taken from space by KhalifaSat in 2018. Courtesy: Dubai Media Office

An image from UAE's KhalifaSat, 600km in orbit, shows Beirut port after a blast levelled the entire district in August 2020. Courtesy: Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre

The Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, US in October 2019. Courtesy: Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre

Denpasar, the capital city of Bali in Indonesia, pictured by KhalifaSat in 2019. Courtesy: Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre

The port city of Wonsan in North Korea. Courtesy: Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre

A quiet Dubai International Airport during the coronavirus pandemic in April 2020. Courtesy: Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre

Milan in Italy pictured from space by KhalifaSat. Courtesy: Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre

Abu Dhabi's distinctive coastline. Courtesy: Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre

Dubai's recognisable coastline is pictured in 2020. Courtesy: Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre