Home lists 100 Most Powerful Arabs 2023 Rayyanah Barnawi Astronaut Origin: Saudi Arabia Residence: Saudi Arabia Sector: Space In May, Barnawi will take a huge leap for all women in the Arab world as the first female Arab astronaut in space. Barnawi is part of the four-member crew of the Axiom-2 (Ax-2) space mission set to blast off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida in May. She will serve as a mission specialist on the 10-day Ax-2 mission at the International Space Station, conducting scientific experiments and outreach activities. Barnawi holds a master’s degree in biomedical sciences from Alfaisal University and a Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences from Otago University. She is also a research laboratory technician with nine years of experience in breast cancer and stem cell cancer research.