The first Emirati astronaut to be propelled into space hopes to inspire a nation by hoisting the UAE flag inside the International Space Station in September.
Military pilot Hazza Al Mansouri and scientist Sultan Al Neyadi beat 4,022 other hopefuls across the country to be the first to undergo astronaut training, but only one will be selected for the eight-day journey to the ISS.
On Monday, in what felt like an audition to be the nation’s representative for the UAE’s first space mission, the two astronauts spoke publicly for the first time about their selection.
The successful astronaut will be announced in May, but until then the pair will continue their training so each is ready for the historic space mission, scheduled for launch on September 25.
Neither yet know who will be on board the Russian Soyuz rocket but both are ready and willing for the challenges ahead.
“It will be a great honour to be the first Emirati astronaut to reach the ISS,” said Mr Al Mansouri, a father of four with a bachelor's in aviation sciences from Khalifa bin Zayed Aviation College.
“I applied for the programme because I had a dream as a boy and our leaders encourage us to achieve our dreams.
“When I was told I was selected for the programme, it was difficult to express how proud and honoured I felt. I was euphoric.”
Mr Al Mansouri said his training as a military pilot served him well during the selection process, and during his recent training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Zvezdini, or Star City.
At the training base, the men’s endurance under gravitational force was tested and their ability to operate in a zero-gravity environment.
They also learnt survival skills in case they should crash in a remote area of Siberia on returning to Earth.
Mr Al Neyadi, who has a bachelor's degree in information technology, a master's degree and a PhD, said destiny led him to apply for the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre’s astronaut programme.
“I studied people who reached the Moon at school and I was excited by the idea of becoming an astronaut,” he said.
“I thought it was a crazy idea. But in 2017, destiny took me to the first scientific event at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre.
“I still thought my dream was impossible but when they launched the first programme in the UAE for astronauts I immediately applied.”
The UAE Astronaut Programme is funded by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority and was launched in 2007. It is the first of its kind in the Arab world.
Mr Al Neyadi, 37, has a passion for science and space and a military background, so fitness and agility is second nature.
“I did not tell my parents I had applied,” he said. “I tried to keep it secret until I had passed all the medical examinations.
I had a call saying that someone would be in touch soon to tell me if I had made the programme. Those 10 minutes I waited felt like 10 years.
The chosen astronaut will perform scientific tests in the ISS laboratories, according to the timing and duration of his stay. He will also conduct research for UAE schools and universities.
Commands during take off and landing on board the Soyuz rocket will be delivered in Russian, so both men have been getting to grips with learning the language.
“All of the training was in Russian but I wanted to learn the language,” Mr Al Mansouri said.
“The Russian segment is one of the most important segments of the ISS. We must be ready and capable.”
With space a premium on board the ISS, the men are restricted to just 1.5 kilograms of belongings to take with them.
Both plan to carry a UAE flag, family photos and books. They have also adapted their diets to suit the more unusual menu of space.
“We will be experimenting with our lives,” said Mr Al Neyadi, who ate nothing but the food he will eat on board the ISS during his training in Russia.
“Beef tongue and meat with jelly were some of the meals on offer, and most astronauts have different reactions to taste in space as your sense of taste changes, as does the human body.
“In Star City, everything was strange at first. We knew the Russian winter was tough but we coped very well alongside the Russian cosmonauts.”
In October, Russia was forced to abort a Soyuz rocket mission shortly after launch due to a technical fault. Luckily both crew on board returned to Earth safely.
It was one of the few incidents to blight the Russian craft, renowned for its reliability.
Dispute the setback, Mr Al Neyadi is not deterred by the risks involved in space travel.
“Space is a tricky business and accidents can happen, but you have to trust in your knowledge and the equipment,” he said.
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
