(Pakistan Point News - 04th Sep, 2023) By Mohammed Jalal Al Rayssi, Director-General of the Emirates news Agency (WAM)
ABU DHABI, 4th September, 2023 (WAM) -- The successful completion of the mission undertaken by Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi marks yet another major stride in the UAE’s space exploration drive, as it further cements its position among the world's leading space explorers.
The space industry was for long dominated by a handful of countries, with no Arab or Islamic countries making efforts to develop this futuristic sector.
Contrary to popular belief, the UAE’s interest in space exploration began long before the launch of its first space mission in 2019, dating back to the country’s establishment, when the UAE’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, met with NASA’s Apollo team.
This meeting served as a launchpad for the UAE’s plans to explore space, while the launch of the Thuraya Telecommunications Company in 1997 spawned the UAE’s thriving space sector, which was further strengthened with the launch of Al Yah Satellite Communications Company (Yahsat) in 2007. Other projects followed culminating with the resolutions to establish the UAE Space Agency and the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC).
Leading these cumulative tireless efforts, spanning a quarter of a century, were the UAE's own sons and daughters, who worked hard to acquire the knowledge and skills required to develop the sector, in line with the UAE leadership's far-sighted vision to seize the potential and possibilities of this strategic sector that would propel the country's drive to achieve leadership in futuristic sectors.
Building on these pillars, the UAE's Science, Technology and Innovation Policy integrated the space economy as a developmental project aiming to bolster the country's competitiveness and develop national competencies in the field, to establish a sustainable and robust space sector in the UAE, which directly supports its economic diversification plans, while raising its regional and global status.
Driven by its firm belief in the importance of establishing a strong legislative and scientific foundation backed by the required financial and human resources to ensure its space sector's sustainability, the UAE issued the first of its kind law in the region to regulate space activities, including laws regulating space colonisation activities. Adding to its ongoing efforts, the country launched the AED 3 billion National Space Fund to drive investments in the UAE's space industry and finance future programmes and projects.
Furthermore, the UAE established the first-ever space research centre in the middle East, allocating AED100 million over five years to develop its human capital and capabilities in the field.
The UAE's dedicated space exploration efforts, from the establishment of the Thuraya Telecommunications Company in 1997 and its recent space missions to the unveiling of its ambitious "Mars 2117 Project", which aims to establish the first inhabitable human settlement in Mars by 2117, are far from a mere publicity stunt as some might think. They are rather a testament to the UAE's forward-looking vision to achieve excellence and restore the Arab world's ‘golden age’, positioning Arab and Islamic countries once again among world leading countries, as well as to serve as an inspiration for them to travel to ‘infinity and beyond’!
