Meshal Alshahrani is a Saudi mechanical engineer who recently joined NASA’s Ames Research Center on a one-year microgravity project to test life in zero gravity conditions with a team of researchers. After more than four years of working in Saudi Aramco as a firefighter, he decided to leave everything behind and realize his dream of being an engineer.
ACHIEVEMENT The first Saudi engineer to join NASA.
With very little English, he overcame the cultural differences, finished a fivemonth English course, worked hard to earn his mechanical engineering degree from San Jose State University in California, and now works his dream job in NASA.
On a mission aboard the NASA space shuttle Discovery that took place on June 17, 1985, Prince Sultan bin Salman was the first Saudi, Arab and Muslim to go to space. He was there for the live installation of a satellite for the Arab Satellite Communications Organization (ARABSAT). Sultan Bin Salman was an air force fighter pilot and second son of King Salman bin Abdulaziz. “We have long reached the stars and beyond.” 40 DESTINATION JEDDAH JANUARY 2017
ACHIEVEMENT The first Saudi to go to space.