| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Sultan Saif Muftah Hamad Al Neyadi |
| Names Earned | Sultan of Space |
| Other Name(s) | • Sultan AlNeyadi • Sultan Al-Neyadi |
| Profession(s) | UAE Armed Forces personnel, Astronaut, Politician, Engineer |
| Famous For | • Being the second astronaut from UAE to go to space • Being the first astronaut from UAE to engage in a long-term mission aboard ISS • Being the first astronaut from UAE to do spacewalking |
| Physical Stats | |
| Height (approx.) | 5' 10" (178 cm) |
| Eye Colour | Dark Brown |
| Hair Colour | Black |
| Astronaut Career | |
| Affiliated Space Agency | The United Arab Emirates Space Agency (UAESA) |
| Affiliated Space Center | Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre |
| Service Years | November 2018 - present |
| Missions with designation | Mission Specialist 1 at the International Space Station (SpaceX Crew 6) (3 March 2023 - 1 September 2023) |
| Awards | First Class Space Medal by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai (2024) |
| Political Journey | |
| Ministries Held | UAE Minister of State for Youth Affairs (11 January 2024 - present) |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 25 May 1981 (Monday) |
| Age (as of 2025) | 44 Years |
| Birthplace | Al Ain, Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates |
| Zodiac sign | Gemini |
| Signature |  |
| Nationality | Emirati |
| Hometown | Al Ain, Abu Dhabi |
| School | • Umm Ghafa Primary Boys School • Umm Ghafa Secondary School |
| College/University | • University of Brighton, UK (Early 2000 - 2004) • Zayed II Military College, UAE • Griffith University, Australia (2008-2012) |
| Educational Qualification(s) | • BSc (hons.) Electronics and Communications Engineering from the University of Brighton • MSc in Information and Network Security from the Griffith University • PhD in Information Technology (Data Leakage Prevention) from the Griffith University |
| Religion | Islam |
| Hobby | Reading |
| Social Media | • Instagram |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Family | |
| Wife/Spouse | Fatima Al Neyadi |
| Children | Son(s)- 2 • Abdalla • Rashid Daughter(s)- 4  |
| Parents | Father- Saif Al Neyadi (served in the UAE Armed Forces) Mother- (homemaker) |
| Favourites | |
| Comic Series | The Adventures of Tintin |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Sultan Al Neyadi
- Sultan Al Neyadi shited from Umm Ghafa, his birthplace, to Al Ain in Abu Dhabi, where he underwent his primary and secondary education.
- He was raised in a religious Muslim family in the UAE.
- Neyadi took a keen interest in Mathematics and Science since his early childhood. He also developed an interest in astronomy and expressed his desire to become an astronaut when he was in school. In an interview, he talked about it and said,
I remember watching the night sky when I was a child when we could see our magnificent galaxy, the Milky Way much more clearly, trying to count the stars with my brothers and sisters.”
Sultan Al Neyadi’s childhood photo
- Upon completing his school studies, Al Neyadi decided to join the military, and based on his aptitude, he was allotted the technical arm and served in it as a Network Security Engineer. Thereafter, he was given the task of studying Communications Engineering.
Sultan Al Neyadi in his military uniform
- The military then sent him to the United Kingdom, where he received a degree in electronics and communications engineering.
- Later, he returned to the UAE, where he continued his service in the military. Owing to his expertise, he visited more than 20 countries to assist their militaries in technological advancements. He also underwent several military communication courses for a year at the Zayed Military College.
- Soon after, he went to Australia, where he completed his formal education. While undergoing a PhD, he penned six research papers which have been cited by many researchers.
- In 2017, he applied for the UAE government’s astronaut selection program for a mission to the International Space Station (ISS). According to Neyadi, over 4000 people had applied for two vacancies. He, however, was not sure of getting selected, as people more qualified than he had applied for it. He talked more about it in an interview and said,
I remember meeting some of the other applicants, who were mostly pilots, and thinking that as an engineer, I’d have very little chance of being selected, but they looked at the candidates as a whole, including our academic background, work experience, physical shape, and medical status.”
- After undergoing a rigorous selection procedure, in 2018, Sultan Al Neyadi, along with Major Al Mansouri, was selected to undergo an astronaut training module at Dubai-based Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre. The news of his selection was given by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai.
Sultan Al Neyadi undergoing astronaut training at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai
- In the same year, the UAE and the US struck a deal for astronaut training under the Implementing Arrangement (IA) agreement. However, Emirati astronauts did not visit the US for training till 2020.
- Upon his selection, it was decided by the government that Major Mansouri was his first choice, while Neyadi would be the backup in case Mansouri was unfit to go to the ISS. Both were chosen to fly the space shuttle to the ISS.
- Sultan Al Neyadi was sent to Russia in 2019 to undergo an advanced astronaut training module at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Star City in Moscow. He remained there till 2020.
- He is one of the few astronauts who are capable of wearing a 10-kilogram space suit in zero gravity.
Sultan Al Neyadi undergoing training in Russia to put on a heavy spacesuit in a zero-gravity generating facility
- Neyadi visited Bengaluru in India in 2020. There, he attended a seminar at the Human Spaceflight Programme, following which he was appointed to its astronaut panel.
Sultan Al Neyadi in Bengaluru after being appointed as a member of the Human Spaceflight Programme’s astronaut panel
- In the same year, he went to Houston, Texas, to train on working on managing equipment, ammonia leaks, and fire onboard the ISS. He underwent a rigorous cold-weather training in Alaska and also learned how to capture video evidence and videograph the Earth from space.
Sultan Al Neyadi at NASA Space Flight Center
- The training module was one of the largest, as it consisted of a total of 90 courses spanning over 1,400 hours.
- Thereafter, he reported at the Houston-based Johnson Space Centre’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL), where he was trained in managing zero gravity, working on the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU), performing and assisting in Incapacitated Crew Rescue (ICR) module, and fly a supersonic fighter aircraft such as a Northrop T-38 Talon.
Sultan Al Neyadi’s photo taken while he was seated in the cockpit of a T-38 Talon jet
- In 2021, Neyadi received the NASA Astronaut wings.
- In the same year, the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) invited him to visit and give a speech on his journey.
- After the US, Sultan was sent to Canada, where he underwent another set of extensive training modules.
- Other than academics, Sultan Al Neyadi takes a keen interest in combat sports. He is a trained professional Jiu-Jitsu player and has participated in many international competitions, including the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship and the President’s Jiu-Jitsu Cup in 2018.
- He received a gold medal at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour 2017-2018.
Sultan Al Neyadi during the felicitation event at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu Tour
- On 25 July 2022, he was chosen to fly a space crew of four members to the International Space Station. Initially, he was supposed to fly a Roscosmos spacecraft; however, after the deal between the UAE and Russia failed to conclude, the UAE signed a pact with Axiom Space.
- On 2 March 2023, Neyadi and three others boarded SpaceX’s Dragon shuttle at Kennedy Space Center in the United States. He successfully docked the shuttle at the ISS on 3 March 2023 at 6.40 am UTC.
Sultan Al Neyadi’s photo taken while he was on his way with his crew to the ISS
- Since he received additional training to externally maintain the ISS in the US, Neyadi, in April 2023, performed his first solo space walk for repair purposes. It lasted for seven hours it took place on the starboard side of the ISS.
A photo of Sultan Al Neyadi taken while he was performing his first spacewalk at the starboard side of the ISS
- At the International Space Station (ISS) in 2023, Sultan became the first astronaut to wear a Jiu-Jitsu training uniform and perform martial arts.
Sultan Al Neyadi in his Jiu-Jitsu training uniform at the ISS
- Sultan spent over 4,000 hours at the ISS, where he worked on over 20 experiments with astronauts from renowned space agencies such as NASA, European Space Agency (ESA), Canadian Space Agency (CSA), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and the National Centre for Space Studies (CNES). He talked about it in an interview and said,
We are subjects ourselves. We’ll have a lot of sensors on us when we do experiments. These machines log our sleep, our vascular activities, breathing and so on. There is radiation in space and loosening of muscles. How do we control (or mitigate) these things are also part of our medical experiments.”
Sultan Al Neyadi conducting an experiment at the ISS
- Neyadi is very active on social media. He gained international attention for posting live videos and hosting question-and-answer sessions live from the station.
Here's the city of Algiers 🤍 from the ISS.
Greetings to everyone in #Algeria, the beautiful Arab nation home to serene landscapes spanning deserts, mountains and beaches. 🇩🇿 pic.twitter.com/T1fuJqIbDI
— Sultan AlNeyadi (@Astro_Alneyadi) June 19, 2023
- He also gained recognition for sharing pictures of countries from space on different occasions. He also used to share his workout regimen from the ISS, especially while doing yoga.
Sultan Al Neyadi performing yoga in his leisure time
- After spending six months on the ISS, Sultan Al Neyadi returned to Earth on 4 September 2023.
Sultan Al Neyadi, after returning to Earth from the International Space Station (ISS)
- Thereafter, the UAE government appointed him to oversee its Astronaut Programme’s Grants Research Programme to assist in projects related to microgravity effects on cardio-postural interactions and dental/oral cells in a simulated environment.
- In September 2024, he was chosen by NASA to undergo a deep-sea diving training module, SEATEST, in the United States.
Sultan Al Neyadi during the SEATEST training module
- In the same year, he penned a biography titled Out Of This World.
Sultan Al Neyadi during the launch of his book, Out Of The World
- In April 2025, the United Nations (UN) invited him to attend the ECOSOC Youth Forum in New York.
Sultan Al Neyadi attending the 2025 ECOSOC Youth Forum
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