On 6 December 2017, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, and Ruler of Dubai, wrote on his Twitter account, “I invite young Emiratis to register for the UAE Astronaut Programme through the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre.[4]” Al Mansoori was one of two people selected from 4,022 candidates,[5] following a series of tests in the UAE and Russia. His military background helped him pass the tests.