As director general of the UAE Space Agency, Mohammed Al Ahbabi has a job that’s simply out of this world. The space agency’s primary objective is to send the Hope spacecraft up to Mars in 2021 and to establish the first mini city on the planet in 2117. The Emirati, who lives in the capital, has led the Abu Dhabi-based agency since its inception in 2014, after being a part of the team that started the UAE’s first satellite project, Al Yassat, in Abu Dhabi from 2005 to 2012.
How do you spend your weekend?
I try to take the weekend off from work, but still, I enjoy astronomy and looking at the stars. Typically in a UAE family, we go outside at the weekends, either to our farms or to some out of town place to spend the night under the stars, light a fire and do some traditional activities with our relatives. It gives me relief from the administration duties of my job. I enjoy talking about space to my family and friends. And when we are out looking at the stars, it’s much easier to inspire them. I can point to any star and give them information about it. I enjoy that.
How did you become the director general of the space agency?
I obtained my first degree from the University of California in the early 90s in electrical engineering, then worked for the UAE government in telecommunications. I was then sent by the government to Southampton University in the UK to study for a master’s and then a doctorate in lasers and fibre optic communications. I was then part of the team that started the UAE’s first satellite project, Yahsat, in Abu Dhabi. It was through that project that I really got hooked on space. We were just a few people in the UAE who understood such advanced technology at that time. I realised we needed a space agency because we had space projects and satellites, but no umbrella to coordinate everything under. So, in 2005, with some of my colleagues, I started the idea of initiating a UAE space agency. We worked, together with some other space agencies, to convince the government that there was a need for the UAE to have its own space agency.
What’s your go-to gadget?
I was using Samsung, then my son, who loves Apple products, bought me an iPhone. Now I’m OK using it. My social networks are all about space.
What was the lowest point in your career?
I don’t regret any period in my life. It’s been a case of going from one exciting job to another – I don’t know what’s after space, whether that’s the final frontier! I always look at the glass as being half full.
What advice would you offer someone else starting out in the space industry?
At the moment, we’re hiring fresh young engineering graduates. They have some interest in space but they don’t know a lot about it. When they first come to me to be a part of the space agency, I ask them, “Are you coming here because of the benefits, or because you like space? If you don’t have a great interest in space, you will survive here but your career won’t move fast. If you have dedication to your work, you can fly with the space programme, because the government has a great plans for the future.”
What’s your most indulgent habit?
I want to read everything but I don’t have time, so I tend to listen to podcasts. I like the application Pocket, which I use to store my files.
What do you have on your desk at work?
On top of my office cabinet are pictures of some of the astronauts I’ve met, such as Buzz Aldrin. We’re very active in international space relations and have signed space cooperation agreements with leading space nations. When we visit them, they give us space-themed gifts that I display in my office, such as ornaments of satellites and rockets. I also have an old astronomy telescope in my office – the type used for navigation in the days before GPS.
What car do you drive?
I am a very typical UAE citizen. I drive a Toyota Land Cruiser. In the UAE, we have the best roads in terms of quality and the width. At the same time we are driving cars designed for off-roading! I don’t know why. For me, it’s because I like to go out into the desert. Emiratis my age have a link to the desert. Unfortunately it’s not the most cost-effective or environmentally efficient car.
What can’t you live without?
The team that I have today is great, I call them “the dream team” – they will take us to Mars.
How do you achieve a work-life balance?
It’s all about time management. As an Emirati, I am very sociable. We don’t have small families, it’s about the tribe. I have to make commitments to visit neighbours and relatives. So if somebody is in hospital, or just needs some sort of help, I visit them. This is the nature of the UAE and this is what keeps us together and strong. I reward myself for keeping those commitments.
business@thenational.ae
