Sultan Al Neyadi pays tribute to Bahrain and Qatar in latest photo from space

Astronaut describes neighbouring nations as 'two shining pearls'

Sultan Al Neyadi shared a photo of Bahrain and Qatar from space. Sultan Al Neyadi / Twitter

UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi has paid tribute to Gulf neighbours Bahrain and Qatar in his latest image from space.

Dr Al Neyadi, who previously shared pictures of Iraq, Egypt and footage of Makkah, described the nations as “two shining pearls”.

The image shows Qatar, partly covered by clouds, and Bahrain from 400km above Earth.

“Here’s a view of Bahrain and Qatar – two shining pearls in the heart of the Gulf, from space,” said Al Neyadi.

“May we all continue to progress and flourish together for generations to come.”

On Wednesday, Dr Al Neyadi shared an image of Baghdad at night, describing it as a “beautiful and historical city” that is “the cornerstone of the golden age of knowledge”.

On Tuesday, he will celebrate his 42nd birthday with some familiar faces when he speaks to the public in his hometown of Al Ain.

In a fourth instalment of his 'A Call from Space' initiative, in which he speaks to heads of state, pupils and space enthusiasts live from the orbiting outpost, Dr Al Neyadi will address an audience at UAE University in Al Ain.

Dr Al Neyadi is from Umm Ghafa, a residential district in Al Ain located on the south-eastern side of the city.

He arrived at the space station on March 3 for a six-month mission – the first long-duration space mission by an Arab astronaut.