The UAE has become the first Arab country to join the international Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research.
Membership will help connect the UAE's polar research to a global network of scientists and institutions, working to further understand Antarctica and its impact on the global climate system.
Last December, The National reported the UAE was the first Arab nation to commit to scientific research under the Antarctic Treaty System, which reserves the continent for peaceful purposes and guarantees freedom of scientific investigation.
Central to this quest is the Emirates Polar Programme, launched by President Sheikh Mohamed in 2023, which puts Emirati scientists at the forefront of international research in Antarctica and the Arctic.
“The UAE’s membership in [the committee] marks an important milestone for the Emirates Polar Programme and the development of our national capabilities in polar science,” said Mariam Almheiri, head of the International Affairs Office at the Presidential Court and chairwoman of the Emirates Polar Programme Steering Committee.
“Scientific progress in the polar regions is built on international co-operation, shared knowledge and long-term partnerships. Through Scar, we are creating new pathways for Emirati scientists to contribute to international research, work alongside leading scientific institutions and build the expertise that will support the UAE’s growing role in polar science.”
The UAE's involvement will be delivered through the Emirates Polar Programme and Polar Research Centre at Khalifa University, where researchers are developing expertise and working with established polar programmes on environmental monitoring and field research in Antarctica.
Much of Antarctica sits more than 500 metres above sea level, making it the coldest and highest continent on the planet, where temperatures can fall below minus 60°C in winter.
Antarctica has no permanent human population and supports only the most minimal form of terrestrial life. Yet it holds nearly 70 per cent of the world’s freshwater, preserved in ice built up over millions of years. As global temperatures rise, changes in this ice are already reshaping oceans and coastlines far beyond the poles.
“Through Scar, we look forward to contributing to shared scientific priorities and building partnerships across nations in the co-operative spirit that defines Antarctica,” said Dr Aisha Al Suwaidi, professor of Earth science at Khalifa University.
“Alongside this scientific endeavour, we are committed to bringing artists and storytellers alongside scientists, so that Antarctica’s story reaches our society as well as our laboratories.”
UAE researchers will now be able to take part in Scar’s international research and expert groups, which assemble specialists across disciplines including ice-sheet dynamics, Southern Ocean change, permafrost and geological history.
This membership will also open opportunities for early-career Emirati scientists to access committee fellowships, research placements and international scientific exchanges.
“The Emirates Polar Programme already has several strong Antarctic research programmes, and we look forward to including Emirates researchers across the Scar Research programme and building collaborative research efforts to address globally important challenges,” said committee president Gary Wilson.
