Hours ahead of his return to Earth, UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi sent a huge thank you message to the team behind the success of his six-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

In a video posted on social media the Sultan of Space thanked the team at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) in Dubai, the agency behind the UAE Astronaut Programme, in Arabic.

Behind every successful astronaut stands a dedicated team working tirelessly day and night,” he said in the post.

“My deepest appreciation goes to my colleagues at MBRSC and to all the teams whose unwavering dedication and hard work made the longest space mission in Arab history possible.,” he added.

MBRSC also shared a video of an inspiring talk between Al Neyadi and his crewmate Warren Hoburg of NASA aboard the International Space Station.