President Sheikh Mohamed calls Emirati astronauts and students real wealth of nation during US visit

A reception was held at the UAE embassy in Washington

President Sheikh Mohamed met university students and Emirati astronauts Nora Al Matrooshi and Mohammed Al Mulla at the UAE embassy in Washington.

At a reception during the UAE President's official visit to the US, Sheikh Mohamed reiterated that the youth of the UAE are its real wealth.

“You and UAE youth are the real wealth of the country. We always want you to excel because we bet on quality. Today, we invest in you and this is the best investment for the future," Sheikh Mohamed said.

He said the UAE was going through a phase that required qualified Emiratis capable of taking on responsibilities, and that the country depended on them.

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  President Sheikh Mohamed receives UAE astronaut Nora Al Matroushi on September 24, 2024, who recently graduated from Nasa's basic astronaut training programme. Photo: Abdulla Al Neyadi / UAE Presidential Court

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  President Sheikh Mohamed photographed with Emirati university students and Emirati astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri on September 24, 2024. Photo: Mohamed Al Hammadi / UAE Presidential Court

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  President Sheikh Mohamed with UAE astronauts and university students at a reception ceremony held at the UAE Embassy in Washington on September 24, 2024. Photo: Ryan Carter / UAE Presidential Court

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  President Sheikh Mohamed said that the astronauts and the university students were the nation's "true wealth". Photo: Ryan Carter / UAE Presidential Court

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  He also encouraged the youth to bring back a wealth of knowledge. Photo: Ryan Carter / UAE Presidential Court

Addressing the students, Sheikh Mohamed said they should focus on specialisations that serve the country's vision of development, and return home with a wealth of knowledge.

He added that technology, especially artificial intelligence, was advancing at an unprecedented pace and it was important to focus on those subjects.

Sheikh Mohamed said that the students should consider themselves ambassadors of the UAE and hold on to their identity and values while pursuing new skills and expertise.

Hazza Al Mansouri, who marked the fifth anniversary of becoming the first Emirati in space on Wednesday, joined Ms Al Matrooshi and Mr Al Mulla, who recently graduated from Nasa's training programme, at the event.

Noting the UAE's significant ambitions in space exploration, Sheikh Mohamed expressed pride in the achievements of the Emirati astronauts, including Dr Sultan Al Neyadi, who completed a six-month mission on the International Space Station.

“We are proud of our citizens who have brought honour to the UAE and the Arab world in the field of space," Sheikh Mohamed said. Space demonstrates the ability of the UAE youth to succeed in any field, he added.

Space exploration

During his meeting with US President Joe Biden, Sheikh Mohamed discussed an agreement between Nasa and the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, under which the UAE would provide a crucial part of Nasa’s planned Gateway, a station to orbit the Moon.

Both countries have been long-standing partners in the space sector, with four Emirati astronauts having undergone training at Nasa.

Universities in the US also worked with Emirati engineers to develop the Hope probe, which has been sending data back from Mars’s orbit since 2021.

MBRSC engineers will develop an airlock in exchange for a place for an Emirati astronaut on a future flight to the station. The deal was signed a few months after Dr Sultan Al Neyadi, now Minister of State of Youth Affairs, carried out a long-term mission on the International Space Station, travelling on a SpaceX rocket launched from a Florida spaceport. The mission achieved several milestones, including the first spacewalk carried out by an Arab astronaut.

A Closer Look: How Hazza Al Mansouri's trip to space sparked the Emirati programme

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