Mashable: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia unveiled it will send its first female astronaut, Rayyanah Barnawi, into space in 2023, reports The National and Saudi Gazette.

Barnawi will visit the International Space Station (ISS) in the second half of this year, along with another Saudi astronaut Ali Al Qarni. The Saudi agency said they will be travelling for the AX-2 mission to the ISS, tweeting, “Every journey has its pioneers, and every mission has its heroes.”

لكل رحلة روّادها.. ولكل مهمّة أبطالها!
السعودية #نحو_الفضاء

Every journey has its pioneers, and every mission has its heroes!
Saudi Arabia Towards Space. pic.twitter.com/tXOQwrtB4m

— الهيئة السعودية للفضاء (@saudispace) February 12, 2023
The duo will be joined by two more astronauts, Mariam Fardous and Ali Al Gamdi, with all four to train on the Saudi Human Spaceflight Programme for the mission. The programme, designed for individuals who will go to space, allows astronauts to conduct scientific experiments, participate in international research, and future space-related missions for their spaceflight.

Abdullah Bin Amer Al Swaha, chairman of the Saudi Space Commission, spoke about the initiative, stating, “Through this programme, the kingdom seeks to activate scientific innovations at the level of space sciences, and enhance its ability to independently conduct its research that will reflect positively on the future of the industry and the country.”

Al Swaha also adds, “[It will] increase the interest of graduates in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (Stem), and develop human capital by attracting talents and the necessary skills.”

The National’s report from the past year also revealed that two Saudi-based astronauts could join Emirati Sultan Al Neyadi on the ISS.

Dr Al Neyadi will leave for the mission on 26th February from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on a six-month-long mission. According to Reuters last year, the Saudi Arabian astronauts will join the mission for two weeks. The first Arab in space was Saudi Arabia's Prince Sultan bin Salman, who achieved this feat in 1985.