Top 6 UAE space moments in 2021, from Hope Probe to first female astronaut

For a country that is only 50 years old, the UAE is taking giant leaps into the unknown and making its mark in the sphere of space exploration.

It made headlines around the world when it reached Mars in its maiden flight and is also building a lunar rover, among other stratospheric achievements.

The National highlights some of Emirates’ top space moments in 2021.

Reaching Mars

On February 9, the UAE’s Hope spacecraft entered the orbit of Mars.

It was became the first Arab country and the fifth space agency worldwide to reach the red planet, with only those of the US, EU, former Soviet Union and India having achieved the feat beforehand.

This major accomplishment set the tone of its space programme, especially for deep space missions and engineering capabilities.

Buildings across the country and Arab world turned red to celebrate Hope, with the faces of the engineers behind the mission projected on to Burj Khalifa.

More than 100 gigabytes of data collected by Hope has been released for public use, and the team has promised to share a new set of data every three months.

Space enthusiasts have been processing raw images captured by the spacecraft and posting them on Twitter.

Images by Hope have shown the Red Planet’s stunning features, including its shield volcanoes and rare aurora.

The data would help scientists learn more about the planet’s dynamic atmospheric conditions.

First Arab female astronaut

A few months after the Mars Hope Probe’s arrival, the UAE announced it had selected the first Arab female astronaut.

Nora Al Matrooshi, 28, a mechanical engineer, will spend two years at a Nasa training centre in Houston to prepare for space missions.

She is part of an astronaut generation that could walk on the Moon one day.

The Artemis programme by Nasa aims to send humans back to the Moon within this decade.

Mohammed Al Mulla, 33, a Dubai Police helicopter pilot, also joined the UAE’s astronaut corps.

Asteroid belt mission and Venus fly-by

This year, the UAE announced its most ambitious deep-space mission yet – to explore the Solar System’s main asteroid belt, with a Venus fly-by.

The mission, still in its concept phase, would be launched sometime in 2028 and would involve a total journey of 3.6 billion kilometres, seven times the distance travelled by the Hope probe to reach Mars in February 2021.

The spacecraft, which has not yet been named, would fly past seven asteroids and attempt a landing on the last one.

It includes a Venus and then an Earth fly-by for gravity assist manoeuvres to reach the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, known as the main asteroid belt.

Target of the Moon in 2022

Before an Emirati spacecraft heads to the main asteroid belt, the UAE plans to achieve landing on a target closer to Earth – the Moon.

The UAE government had mandated Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre to reach the Moon by 2024, but they secured a lander earlier than expected and have the flight scheduled for launch in 2022.

A tiny, 10-kilogram rover called Rashid will lift off from Florida’s Kennedy Space Centre sometime between August to December.

Space tourism

Space tourism is taking off and the UAE wants to be a part of it.

Blue Origin seems to be leading the way, having put eight people in space through its suborbital flights. Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin company blasted its third private crew into space and brought it back safely in December, this time including the daughter of the first American in space.

In 2019, the UAE Space Agency and Virgin Galactic – which has had one successful fully crewed flight – discussed bringing space tourism to the Emirates.

The agency and Abu Dhabi Airports signed an agreement to build a spaceport.

World’s largest space conference in Dubai

In October, the Ministry of Economy and Blue Origin agreed to develop a plan that would accelerate the ministry’s ambition for economic development through space activities, including space tourism.

That month, Dubai also hosted the world’s largest space conference.

It was the first time the International Astronautical Congress was hosted by an Arab country since its inception in 1950.

It brought more than 5,000 experts from the field to the country for the five-day event, held at Dubai World Trade Centre.

The annual event helps space agencies and private companies to explore partnership opportunities.

At this year’s conference, the UAE and Nasa held discussions on the Artemis programme.

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.

8. Pillar 2 implementation

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

Who was Alfred Nobel?

The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.

In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.