UAE astronaut celebrates World Bee Day in space

UN has declared May 20 every year as World Bee Day to highlight the call for governments, organisations, civil society and concerned citizens to protect the pollinators and their habitats.

According to UN, World Bee Day raises awareness of the essential role bees, and other pollinators play in keeping people and the planet healthy. The date also coincides with the birthday of Anton Janša, who in the 18th century pioneered modern beekeeping techniques in his native Slovenia and praised the bees for their ability to work so hard while needing so little attention.

Taking to Twitter on Saturday, UAE astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi posted a one-minute video calling bees the world’s unsung heroes.

The video was shot inside the orbiting International Space Station (ISS), where AlNeyadi is staying for six months doing scientific experiments. What makes the video special is that the honey featured in the clip came all the way from Al Khawaneej in Dubai, and was shipped to the space laboratory orbiting the Earth at an altitude of 400km.

In the video, AlNeyadi opens the bottle that carries the logo of the Mohammed bin Rashid Centre, and lets the honey slowly float freely in space. He captioned it: “Happy #WorldBeeDay! 🐝 Bees are unsung heroes, playing a vital role in our ecosystem and food production.”

“Even here in space, we're reminded of their impact on Earth. Their work makes life sweeter, especially when enjoying UAE’s locally sourced honey from Al Khawaneej,” AlNeyadi added.