UAE plans Space Research Centre in Middle East

Mars Mission 

Abu Dhabi

The UAE will establish the first Space Research Centre in the Middle East. The project costing Dh100 million is expected to give a boost to the country’s initiatives in space including the Hope Probe, the Mars Mission planned for 2021.

This was announced as part of the Strategic Framework Plan of the UAE Space Agency, which was unveiled in Abu Dhabi in the presence of Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

“The establishment of a fully-fledged space sector in the UAE, with all necessary human resources, infrastructure and scientific research, is a primary national objective. It requires everyone involved to work as one team to establish the UAE’s leadership in this sector and to build advanced scientific capabilities in the space domain,” Shaikh Mohammad said.

“The Hope Probe and the UAE Space Agency are milestones for the development of the UAE,” he said.

Dr Charles Elachi, Director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said: “The UAE’s Hope Probe to Mars will not only advance human scientific knowledge and strengthen the UAE’s technological capabilities; it will also provide inspiration to all the young people in the UAE and throughout the Arab world.”