First Saudi female astronaut heads into space 
In line with Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia is returning to space by sending astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al-Qarni to the International Space Station.
The two Saudi astronauts were part of the Axiom Mission 2 to the ISS that took off on May 21 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
In addition, the mission included two American astronauts, commander Peggy Whitson and co-pilot John Shoffner.
The Ax-2 mission is the second private Crew Dragon flight chartered by Houston-based Axiom Space and sanctioned by NASA as part of an initiative to encourage private-sector development in low-Earth orbit.
Despite its short duration, the mission will pave the way for the Saudi Human Spaceflight Program to send Saudi astronauts on long-stay missions for at least 180 days to conduct more research and expand the Kingdom’s contributions to science.
Barnawi, who is a scientist specializing in cancer stem-cell research, is the first Arab and Muslim from Saudi Arabia to travel into space. This is a historic event for Saudi Arabia, and the Arab and Muslim world as well.
On board the ISS she will collaborate with her colleague Al-Qarni on 14 pioneering scientific experiments in microgravity, including the repercussions of space on human health and rain-seeding technology, which will contribute to increasing rainfall in many countries.
I believe that the Kingdom’s focus on space will not only help to develop Saudi cadres to be leaders in space, but also help the Kingdom to develop its capabilities in the field of research and development.
Both Al-Qarni and Barnawi are products of the Saudi Human Spaceflight Program, which was launched in September 2022 by the Saudi Space Commission.
The main goal of the program is to train and qualify Saudis to undertake human spaceflight, conduct scientific experiments, and participate in international research and future space-related missions contributing to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
The program also aims to prepare Saudi cadres to become professional astronauts conducting research for the benefit of all humanity.
It includes the training of two more astronauts, Mariam Fardous and Ali Al-Gamdi, on all mission requirements.
The Saudi Space Commission was established in December 2018 to support the Kingdom’s efforts to move toward a progressive quality of life.
The Ax-2 space mission is not the first space mission in which the Kingdom has participated. Prince Sultan bin Salman took part in a space mission on the NASA Discovery shuttle on June 17, 1985, becoming the first Arab Muslim astronaut.
I believe that the Kingdom’s focus on space will not only help to develop Saudi cadres to be leaders in space, but also help the Kingdom to develop its capabilities in the field of research and development.
This, in turn, will contribute positively to the national economy and the Kingdom’s gross domestic product.
• Talat Zaki Hafiz is an economist and financial analyst. Twitter: @TalatHafiz
