Astronaut-UAE

The traditional showcasing of Emirati food to travelers has just gone one step further. And this time, it is going to be out of this world.

The UAE’s first astronaut, Hazzaa Al Mansoori, is set to become the first Emirati to travel the International Space Station (ISS) on September 25 and in addition, will host the first Emirati food night in space.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) confirmed that Al Mansoori will be dressed in the traditional Emirati clothes, and will offer his fellow astronauts will be offered three Emirati foods: madrooba, saloona, and balaleet.

“The event will be the first of its kind, and for the first time they would taste the Arab cuisine, especially the Khaleeji [Gulf] cuisine, in a non-gravitational environment,” announced the MBRSC.

Additionally, a daily menu will be prepared for Al Mansoori with the types of food that he selected during his training period at Star City, Russia. Al Mansoori, the UAE's main astronaut traveling to the ISS, and Sultan Al Neyadi, the UAE’s back-up astronaut, had earlier spent between one and two hours daily for a week to taste about 200 different types of halal food and evaluate each.