WATCH: UAE Astronauts Celebrate World Bee Day, Emirati Honey Makes a Splash in Space – News

The honey in the clip was transported thousands of miles from Al Khawaneej, Dubai, to the space laboratory circling the earth at an altitude of 400km

The Space Sultan has a sweet message to share on World Bee Day. Emirati astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi posted a one-minute video on Twitter on Saturday calling bees the unsung heroes of the world.

The video was shot inside the orbiting International Space Station (ISS), where AlNeyadi will stay for six months to conduct science experiments. The special thing about the video is that the honey in the video is transported thousands of miles from Al Khawaneej in Dubai to the orbiting space laboratory at an altitude of 400 kilometers.

In the video, AlNeyadi opens a bottle bearing the logo of the Mohammad bin Rashid Center and lets the honey float slowly and freely in the air. “Happy #WorldBeeDay! 🐝 Bees are the unsung heroes who play a vital role in our ecosystems and food production,” he wrote in the caption.

“Even in space, we are reminded of their impact on Earth. Their work makes life a little sweeter, especially when enjoying local Emirati honey from Al Khawaneej,” AlNeyadi added.

Bees are pollinators. They support the growth of trees, flowers, and other plants, and provide food and shelter for creatures large and small. Bees also provide good food — honey, royal jelly and pollen — and other products like beeswax, propolis and bee venom.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), bees directly contribute to world food security, with a third of the world’s food production dependent on bees.

However, FAO and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) “warn that bee populations have been declining globally in recent decades due to habitat loss, intensified farming practices, changing weather patterns and the overuse of agrochemicals such as pesticides . This in turn poses a threat to a wide range of plants that are critical to human well-being and livelihoods.”

The United Nations proclaims 20 May each year as World Bee Day to underscore the call on governments, organizations, civil society and concerned citizens to protect pollinators and their habitats.

According to the United Nations, World Bee Day raises awareness of the important role bees and other pollinators play in keeping people and the planet healthy. The date also coincides with the birthday of Anton Janša, who pioneered modern beekeeping in his native Slovenia in the 18th century and credited bees with being able to work so hard without requiring much attention.