Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, on Sunday visited the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre where he was shown the designs for the UAE's first moon rover.
Sheikh Hamdan said the UAE was strengthening its global standing by launching exceptional space projects to create a brighter future for the region and its people.
He reviewed the centre's 10-year strategy and was briefed on the progress of the Emirates Lunar Mission project, the first Emirati and Arab mission to explore the Moon.
Emirati engineers plan to develop and launch the rover, named Rashid, in 2024.
It will make the UAE the fourth country to gain new information about the Moon and explore new areas on the lunar surface.
"The explorer Rashid is the first Arab spacecraft to be launched to the Moon in 2024 to discover sites that no space flights have previously reached," Sheikh Hamdan said.
"The Emirates Moon Exploration Project is a new achievement in our scientific journey, which we achieve with Emirati minds and efforts, and its results will be in the service of humanity."
The team gave Sheikh Hamdan an overview of previous missions conducted in the lead-up to the current phase of the Moon project.
They demonstrated how the Emirati lunar rover will perform key tasks when it lands on the surface of the Moon.
Hamad Al Mansouri, chairman of the centre, said these space projects would help to show the UAE as a valuable global partner for innovative scientific projects.
"[Sheikh Hamdan's visit] serves as a strong incentive and motivation for the centre and private entities in the UAE to launch new, high-quality projects in the fields of technology, robotics and aerospace technology," Mr Al Mansouri said.
The lunar rover will make significant contributions to global efforts to explore the Moon's surface.
It will provide data to Nasa's Lunar Gateway project, which will see the establishment of a human base on the Moon to make deep space missions possible, particularly sending astronauts to Mars.
It is also a step towards the UAE's Mars ambitions, with the the Mars 2117 Programme, which aims to build the first human settlement on the Red Planet.
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8 UAE companies helping families reduce their carbon footprint
Greenheart Organic Farms
This Dubai company was one of the country’s first organic farms, set up in 2012, and it now delivers a wide array of fruits and vegetables grown regionally or in the UAE, as well as other grocery items, to both Dubai and Abu Dhabi doorsteps.
www.greenheartuae.com
Modibodi
Founded in Australia, Modibodi is now in the UAE with waste-free, reusable underwear that eliminates the litter created by a woman’s monthly cycle, which adds up to approximately 136kgs of sanitary waste over a lifetime.
www.modibodi.ae
The Good Karma Co
From brushes made of plant fibres to eco-friendly storage solutions, this company has planet-friendly alternatives to almost everything we need, including tin foil and toothbrushes.
www.instagram.com/thegoodkarmaco
Re:told
One Dubai boutique, Re:told, is taking second-hand garments and selling them on at a fraction of the price, helping to cut back on the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of clothes thrown into landfills each year.
www.shopretold.com
Lush
Lush provides products such as shampoo and conditioner as package-free bars with reusable tins to store.
www.mena.lush.com
Bubble Bro
Offering filtered, still and sparkling water on tap, Bubble Bro is attempting to ensure we don’t produce plastic or glass waste. Founded in 2017 by Adel Abu-Aysha, the company is on track to exceeding its target of saving one million bottles by the end of the year.
www.bubble-bro.com
Coethical
This company offers refillable, eco-friendly home cleaning and hygiene products that are all biodegradable, free of chemicals and certifiably not tested on animals.
www.instagram.com/coethical
Eggs & Soldiers
This bricks-and-mortar shop and e-store, founded by a Dubai mum-of-four, is the place to go for all manner of family products – from reusable cloth diapers to organic skincare and sustainable toys.
www.eggsnsoldiers.com
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The five pillars of Islam
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
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