Good morning from The National on November 30, 2022.

Here is your morning digest of what is making the headlines in the Emirates.

Today will be yet another historic day in the short but successful UAE space programme when its first lunar craft is launched on its journey to the Moon.

The Emirati-built Rashid rover — the first lunar spacecraft produced by an Arab country — will be launched at 12.39pm UAE time from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on board SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.

The rover is hitching a ride on the Hakuto-R Mission 1 lander, built by Japanese company ispace, which has been integrated into the Falcon 9 rocket.

Takeshi Hakamada, founder and chief executive of ispace, told The National he was “very confident” as the mission nears lift-off.

“It’s a great, exciting moment,” he said in Florida before the launch.

Read Sarwat Nasir's interview from Cape Capaveral here.

Dubai's luxury property market set for world's strongest growth in 2023

Dubai's prime residential market is set for the world's strongest growth next year, according to a report.

Across the 25 cities tracked, property consultancy Knight Frank expects prime residential prices to rise by 2 per cent on average in 2023, down from 2.7 per cent predicted six months ago.

It predicts Dubai to lead the way with a 13.5 per cent rise in prime prices, ahead of the likes of Miami (5 per cent), Los Angeles (4 per cent) and Paris (4 per cent).

“Dubai’s prime residential market has and continues to be a global outlier, with record price growth in 2022, albeit this has been from a low base,” said Faisal Durrani, partner and head of Middle East research at Knight Frank.

Read the full story here

Trio from UAE to row across Atlantic to raise awareness of marine pollution

Three UAE residents will set off next week on an “adventure of a lifetime” across the Atlantic Ocean in a small boat without an engine.

They will row about 5,000km over about 53 days across the Atlantic to complete the gruelling voyage in a bid to raise awareness of marine pollution.

Toby Gregory, 44, an ultra-endurance athlete from the UK, James Raley, 43, a British Army veteran and adventure travel enthusiast, and Rai Tamagnini, 48, a four-time ironman and mountaineer from Portugal, make up the Arabian Ocean Rowing team that is undertaking the venture.

Read Anjana Sankar's story here

COMING UP

• Khaleeji sounds at Al Wasl Plaza, Expo City Dubai — December 2

• The Nutcracker at Dubai Opera — December 16 and 17

FACT OF THE DAY

Dubai and Abu Dhabi were ranked as the world’s second and ninth best cities, respectively, for expatriates to live, according to a new report by global network InterNations.

Johannesburg, Frankfurt and Paris all languished at the bottom of the list, which can be viewed in full here.

THE WRAP