Organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, the 14th edition of the Al Ain Book Festival 2023 celebrates a special space day on Saturday, November 25, in honour of the United Arab Emirates' achievements in this field, allocating a special area to display models of spacecraft and space suits.

Starting at 5:00 PM in the Al Ain Square, the special event begins with children and youth dressed in space suits, and then meeting with Hazza Al Mansoori, the first Emirati astronaut, and Sultan Al Neyadi, the first Arab to serve on a space mission for 6 months, where attendees will be able to take photos with them near the Festival's space exhibits.

Children and youth will also be able to participate in interactive experiences, such as "Astronaut Helmet", "Mars Mission", "Renewable Energy," and many others, within the space area in the Al Ain Square.

In 2017, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, invited young men and women in the UAE to register in the Emirates Astronaut Programme, run by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, in order for the best, most capable, and most qualified to be chosen as UAE’s space ambassadors.

Later in the same year, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid announced the names of the first Arab astronauts for the International Space Station, Hazza Al Mansoori and Sultan Al Neyadi, who were chosen among over 4,000 applicants after passing a series of tests in the UAE and Russia.

In 2019, Hazza Al Mansoori launched on “Soyuz MS-15” to the International Space Station, where he conducted a series of scientific experiments. In 2023, Sultan Al Neyadi also launched on “SpaceX Crew-6” to the International Space Station on the longest space mission in Arab history, lasting 6 months, to conduct scientific experiments in advanced space biology research. He also made history for the UAE by becoming the first Arab to undertake a spacewalk.