Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, said on the X platform, “We congratulate the people of the Emirates and all Arab youth on the safe return of Sultan Al Neyadi to planet Earth — the first Arab astronaut on a long mission on the International Space Station.

“Sultan conducted 200 scientific research missions... and spent more than 4,400 hours in space... and inspired millions of Arab youth that we are capable of making a positive contribution to humanity's scientific and cultural journey...”

The four astronauts returned to Earth early on Monday after a six-month stay at the International Space Station.

Their SpaceX capsule parachuted into the Atlantic off the Florida coast.

Returning were NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren "Woody” Hoburg, Russia's Andrei Fedyaev and the United Arab Emirates' Sultan al-Neyadi, t he first person from the Arab world to spend an extended time in orbit.

Before departing the space station, they said they were craving hot showers, steaming cups of coffee and the ocean air since arriving in March. Their homecoming was delayed a day because of poor weather at the splashdown locations.