Kuwaiti Abdullah Al-Harbi first Gulf national whose photos featured in NASA's 'Image of the Day' section

Kuwaiti photographer Abdullah Al-Harbi has become the first Gulf Arab whose images have been featured in NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day. From the sands of the Gulf to the depths of space, Al-Harbi’s passion for stargazing has evolved from a hobby into a scientific resource adopted by the world’s leading space agency. The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) published 50 of Al-Harbi’s photographs on their official websites, distributed across main and subpages, making him the first Gulf Arab whose work has appeared in NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day section, and one of the most prolific Arab astronomical photographers in terms of the number of publications on the site. He is also the first Gulf Arab to collaborate with the European Space Agency (ESA). Through his participation in the “Oman Science Festival 2026,” representing the Kuwait National Center for Space Research—one of the centers under the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences—Al-Harbi encourages young Gulf Arabs to engage in photography to support astronomical research, enhance understanding of cosmic changes, and promote community participation in observation, documentation, and data collection in collaboration with scientific centers and specialized institutions.