The UAE's next space mission will set its sights on Venus, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, has said.
As part of the country's 50 projects announcement, seven asteroids will also be explored, he said.
The mission is scheduled to launch in 2028, with the primary goal of exploring the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. This is where most meteorites that impact earth are found.
"Today, the UAE launched, among the 50 projects, a new space mission to explore planet Venus and seven other [asteroids] in the solar system," Sheikh Mohammed wrote on Twitter.
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, said the launch of a new project to explore Venus and the asteroid belt set "an ambitious new goal for our country’s burgeoning space programme".
"The UAE is determined to make a meaningful contribution to space exploration, scientific research and our understanding of the solar system."
Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Sciences and chairwoman of the UAE Space Agency, set out details of the mission in the presence of the ruler of Dubai and the crown prince of Abu Dhabi.
The asteroid belt is 3.6 billion kilometres away. The distance is roughly seven times the length of the Hope probe's trip to Mars.
The spacecraft, according to a video shared online, will take seven years to build and the launch is scheduled for 2028.
The journey is expected to last five years.
The new Emirati space mission is designed to advance the country's space engineering, scientific research and exploration capabilities, while also creating more opportunity in the private sector.
“We have set our eyes to the stars because our journey to development and progress has no boundaries, no borders and no limitations," said Sheikh Mohammed.
"Today we are investing in the generations to come.”
“With each new advancement we make in space, we create opportunities for young people here on Earth.”
Using knowledge and experience gained from the Emirates Mars Mission (EMM), the new mission will be inviting participation from Emirati private sector companies.
Five initiatives are being launched around the new mission by the UAE Space Agency to accelerate the development of the UAE’s space sector:
· A fully funded programme to establish Emirati space sector businesses
· Priority access to contracts and procurement for the mission by Emirati companies
· A vocational training programme to train young Emiratis on component assembly and space subsystems engineering
· A programme to bring local and international universities and research centres together to work on the mission, including Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) and Emirates University
“This new mission tests and extends the capabilities of Emirati youth in achieving Zayed’s ambition to explore space," said the crown prince of Abu Dhabi.
"We are certain that our talented local engineers, academic and research institutions, which have so far made quantum leaps in developing our space sector, are well equipped to take on this daring new challenge.”
On it's five-year journey, the spacecraft will first orbit Venus, then Earth, building up the velocity to reach the main asteroid belt past Mars.
It will come as close as 109 million kilometres to the Sun and as far as 448 million km, requiring special equipment to deal with both temperature extremes.
“Our goal is clear: to accelerate the development of innovation and knowledge-based enterprises in the Emirates," said Ms Al Amiri, Chairwoman of the UAE Space Agency.
"This can’t be done by going steady-state, this requires leaps in imagination, in faith and the pursuit of goals that go beyond prudent or methodical.
"When we embarked on the Emirates Mars Mission, we took on a six-year task that was in the order of five times more complex than the Earth observation satellites we were developing.
"This mission is in the order of five times more complex than EMM.”
By the middle of 2028, the spacecraft will make its first planetary approach and orbit Venus.
Around a year later it will closely orbit Earth.
The first fly-by of the main asteroid belt will occur in 2030 when it will observe seven main belt asteroids before landing on one 560 million kilometres from Earth in 2033.
This will make the UAE the fourth country to land a spacecraft on an asteroid.
The exact equipment to be used on the mission is expected to be announced in the middle of next year.
The UAE took its first steps towards space exploration in 1997 when the first communications satellite Thoraya was launched.
Nine years later, the country was building its own satellites, and in 2018 the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre launched the first 100 per cent Emirati designed-and-built KhalifaSat.
The Emirates Mars Mission was announced in 2014, the same year that the UAE Space Agency was established. Its Hope Probe aims to build the first detailed picture of the climate on the red planet throughout the Martian year. Hope reached the Martian orbit in February this year.
The Breadwinner
Director: Nora Twomey
Starring: Saara Chaudry, Soma Chhaya, Laara Sadiq
Three stars
Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Fund-raising tips for start-ups
Develop an innovative business concept
Have the ability to differentiate yourself from competitors
Put in place a business continuity plan after Covid-19
Prepare for the worst-case scenario (further lockdowns, long wait for a vaccine, etc.)
Have enough cash to stay afloat for the next 12 to 18 months
Be creative and innovative to reduce expenses
Be prepared to use Covid-19 as an opportunity for your business
* Tips from Jassim Al Marzooqi and Walid Hanna
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
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
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
The%20US%20Congress%20explained
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The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
AL%20BOOM
%3Cp%20style%3D%22text-align%3Ajustify%3B%22%3E%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3BDirector%3AAssad%20Al%20Waslati%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%20style%3D%22text-align%3Ajustify%3B%22%3E%0DStarring%3A%20Omar%20Al%20Mulla%2C%20Badr%20Hakami%20and%20Rehab%20Al%20Attar%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EStreaming%20on%3A%20ADtv%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates