Staff Writer, Dubai

“One Thousand and One Nights captivated and greatly influenced me when I was young,” said Dr. Mamoru Mohri, the first Japanese astronaut to board a NASA space shuttle.

He told Arab News Japan that Arab culture had contributed richly to the world, from mathematics to literature.

Mohri, who is also the first CEO of Miraikan — the Japanese national museum of emerging science and innovation — was a keynote speaker at Tanween 2019 in Saudi Arabia last month.

Tanween, Ithra’s annual creativity season, explores creativity in art, music, film, theater, science, literature, cultural heritage and entrepreneurship. Mohri also praised Saudi Arabia’s work in fossil fuels, and the future of energy.

“Saudi Arabia will soon have new facilities that will serve the youth and commit to the fascinating world of science,” Mohri said.

According to him, Japan and Saudi Arabia could significantly benefit through exchange programs through education, science and technology, as well as the study and sharing of each other’s rich culture.

“I am sure your country will provide a wonderfully diverse group of scientists and astronauts and they will contribute, globally, to the sustainability of this planet,” he said.

As well as his role as an astronaut and at Miraikan, where he has proven instrumental in using TV to educate the Japanese public on science, Mohri is a keen adventurer, having been part of a mission that dived 6,500 meters below sea level.

He hosted the Science Center World Summit 2017, and established the Tokyo Protocol to contribute to achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.