Once again, Saudi crown prince Mohammed Ben Salman Al Saud has, for a few million dollars, delivered quite a publicity stunt to promote the kingdom's image, as part of his post-oil development strategy "Vision 2030." But behind the symbolism of sending a woman into space, just five years after the start of reforms that gave Saudi women new rights, there lies a veritable race to the stars in the Middle East. "If Ali and I can do it, they can do it too," said the young woman, addressing future generations in the Arab world. With Saudi fighter pilot Ali Al-Qarni, she embarked on a 10-day private mission organized by Axiom Space of the United States, joining seven occupants already aboard the ISS, including Emirati astronaut Sultan Al-Neyadi.
When Rayana Barnawi boarded SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket on May 22, 2023, from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, the 33-year-old biologist expressed delight at the "honor" of being the first Saudi Arabian woman astronaut to reach the International Space Station (ISS). MIDDLE EAST LETTER In a street of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on May 21, 2023. While two Saudis are currently working aboard the ISS, at least nine countries in the Middle East have launched space programs to go to the Moon – and even colonize Mars.īy Hélène Sallon (Beirut (Lebanon) correspondent) Published on June 27, 2023, at 5:13 am (Paris), updated on June 27, 2023, at 9:07 am
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