Saudi astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi, Ali AlQarni back in the Kingdom after successful space mission
Alqarni and Barnawi, the first Arab woman to orbit Earth, returned to Earth on May 31 after an eight-day stay at the space station
They performed 14 research projects on microgravity, three were kite experiments with 12,000 students from 47 locations in Kingdom
Updated 17 June 2023
Arab News
RIYADH: Saudi astronauts Ali Alqarni, Rayyanah Barnawi, Mariam Fardous, and Ali Al-Ghamdi have returned to the Kingdom Saturday morning after a successful scientific mission at the International Space Station.
Alqarni and Barnawi – the first Arab woman to orbit Earth – returned to Earth on May 31 after an eight-day stay at the space station where they performed 14 research projects on microgravity, three of which were kite experiments with 12,000 school students from 47 locations across the Kingdom via satellite.
The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying them, as well as American astronauts Peggy Whitson John Shoffner, parachuted down onto the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, Florida, after a 12-hour return flight and re-entry through the Earth’s atmosphere.
From left: Saudi astronauts Mariam Fardous, Rayyanah Barnawi, Ali Alqarni and Ali Al-Ghamdi. (Twitter: @saudispace)
The scientific mission will be of significant benefit to humanity and will ensure the Kingdom leading roles and an avant-garde position in space exploration, a statement from the Saudi Space Agency noted during the astronauts’ arrival at King Khaled International Airport.
The agency also said that the leading achievements and contributions of the Saudi space mission are a source of pride for the nation all with the support of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the statement added.
Ethiopian Cultural Days brings aroma of coffee, flavorful food to Alsuwaidi Park in Riyadh
The Global Harmony Cultural Series is open to visitors every day from 4:00 p.m. until midnight
Updated 22 min 57 sec ago
Haifa Alshammari
RIYADH: Ethiopian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Muktar Kedir Abdu attended the opening of Ethiopian Cultural Days at Alsuwaidi Park in Riyadh on Thursday.
The Ministry of Media and the General Entertainment Authority organized Ethiopian Cultural Days as part of the Global Harmony Cultural Series, which has focused on several other countries so far, including Yemen, Indonesia, Syria, and Uganda.
The event witnessed the presence of the Ethiopian ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Muktar Kedir Abdu. (AN photo Huda Bashatah)
The Global Harmony Cultural Series is open to visitors every day from 4:00 p.m. until midnight.
During Ethiopian Cultural Days, guests will see Ethiopian dance groups showcasing diverse folk dances from various regions of Ethiopia.
The Global Harmony Cultural Series opens its doors for visitors every day from 4:00 PM until midnight, welcoming visitors from all nationalities and age groups to enjoy food, culture, live performances, and more. (AN photo Huda Bashatah)
“What caught my attention the most was the DJ. My friends and I come almost every day for the DJ,” Turki Mesmeh, a frequent visitor to Global Harmony, told Arab News. “They brought their cultures to us, all the way to the Alsuwaidi neighborhood.”
Ethiopia has an enormously rich history. According to National Geographic, the ancient African kingdom of Aksum was based in what is now northern Ethiopia and parts of Eritrea. It emerged as a powerful and wealthy civilization from the 1st to the 10th century CE, controlling the trade routes between the Roman Empire, India, and the Arabian Peninsula. Ethiopia was also among the first countries in Africa to adopt Christianity.
The Global Harmony Cultural Series opens its doors for visitors every day from 4:00 PM until midnight, welcoming visitors from all nationalities and age groups to enjoy food, culture, live performances, and more. (AN photo Huda Bashatah)
Guests to Ethiopian Cultural Days will also discover a range of Ethiopian cuisine.
“The most important dishes are tibs and kitfo. Tibs is meat, fried with tomatoes and other ingredients,” Welday Meles, owner of the Ethiopian restaurant Lucy, told Arab News.
The Global Harmony Cultural Series opens its doors for visitors every day from 4:00 PM until midnight, welcoming visitors from all nationalities and age groups to enjoy food, culture, live performances, and more. (AN photo Huda Bashatah)
Kitfo is raw minced beef mixed with chili and clarified butter, and is similar to steak tartare.
Another popular dish is beyaynetu, a dish — or series of small dishes — made from a wide variety of ingredients and served with injera — Ethiopia’s famous spongy flatbread made from fermented teff flour.
It is widely known that Ethiopia is the origin of coffee, the beverage that dominates global consumption, and this goes back to an ancient story about a goat herder named Kaldi, who noticed his goats becoming unusually energetic after eating red berries from a particular tree. These red berries were coffee beans. (AN photo Huda Bashatah)
And no celebration of Ethiopia would be complete without coffee. Not only because the coffee plant originated there — legend has it that a goat herder named Kaldi discovered coffee when he noticed that his animals became unusually energetic after eating red berries from a particular tree — but also because the country has preserved its traditional rituals, diverse varieties, and deep cultural connection to coffee, remaining one of its most significant global producers.
Rahika Mohammed, a participant at the event, explained that, in Ethiopia, coffee is commonly served with “popcorn and mastic incense,” adding that “the cup must be full when served.”
