• An official shows an arriving passenger the special Mars ink stamp at Dubai airport. All pictures courtesy: UAE Government Media Office / Dubai Airports
    An official shows an arriving passenger the special Mars ink stamp at Dubai airport. All pictures courtesy: UAE Government Media Office / Dubai Airports
  • The stamp will be given to all inbound passengers landing at Dubai's airports
    The stamp will be given to all inbound passengers landing at Dubai's airports
  • It comes with a booklet about the Mars Mission, which began with the launch from Japan in July, 2020. After a seven month journey it is set to arrive in Martian orbit on February 9, 2021
    It comes with a booklet about the Mars Mission, which began with the launch from Japan in July, 2020. After a seven month journey it is set to arrive in Martian orbit on February 9, 2021
  • A traveller with the passport stamp and booklet
    A traveller with the passport stamp and booklet
  • Basalt rocks are found both on Mars and on certain parts of Earth, including the Emirati desert
    Basalt rocks are found both on Mars and on certain parts of Earth, including the Emirati desert
  • One of those locations is the UAE's Hajar mountains and Sharjah’s Mleiha Desert
    One of those locations is the UAE's Hajar mountains and Sharjah’s Mleiha Desert
  • Experts tracked down samples of the rock to create the liquid to print the stamps
    Experts tracked down samples of the rock to create the liquid to print the stamps
  • They were crushed into a fine paste and dried in the sun
    They were crushed into a fine paste and dried in the sun
  • They were mixed with chemicals to create three separate colours that represent the Red Planet.
    They were mixed with chemicals to create three separate colours that represent the Red Planet.
  • They were mixed with chemicals to create three separate colours that represent the Red Planet.
    They were mixed with chemicals to create three separate colours that represent the Red Planet.
  • The finished product can be used to dip onto the stamp press
    The finished product can be used to dip onto the stamp press
  • The final version of the stamp with an inscription about the mission
    The final version of the stamp with an inscription about the mission

Science

UAE airline passengers to get 'Martian ink' passport stamp on arrival

Ink for commemorative UAE stamp was extracted from the same type of volcanic rock found on the Red Planet's barren surface

The National

February 10, 2021

  • English
  • Arabic

Latest: History made as Hope probe successfully enters Mars orbit

Airline passengers arriving in UAE will receive a special stamp to mark the country's mission to Mars.

The ink for the stamp was created from the same type of volcanic rock found on the Red Planet's barren surface.

In the hours before the Hope space probe orbits Mars, Dubai Airports and the UAE Government Media Office released pictures of how the stamp was made.

Tuesday night's mission follows the successful blast-off from Japan in July and a seven-month, 493.5-million-kilometre journey through space.

Officials have stressed that the mission has a 50 per cent chance of success, but are hopeful that the country will make history.

Basalt rocks are found both on Mars and on Earth in certain parts of the world. One of those locations is the UAE's Hajar mountains and Sharjah’s Mleiha Desert.

To create the liquid to print the stamps, these rocks were crushed into a fine paste and dried in the sun.

They were mixed with chemicals to create three separate colours that represent the Red Planet.

Basalt rocks date back tens of millions of years and give the UAE’s mountain ranges their distinct rugged look.

If the Hope probe is successful, it will begin to capture and transmit the first photo of Mars within a week.

It will then commence its mission to build the first complete picture of the Martian atmosphere using its three advanced scientific instruments.

The tools will continue to relay data of the Red Planet’s atmosphere for one Martian year, equivalent to 687 Earth days.

Hope is a type of weather and climate satellite for Mars.

It will study how energy moves through the atmosphere throughout the seasons of the year.

It will further examine dust that influences the planet's temperature, and it will examine atoms of hydrogen and oxygen at the top of the atmosphere, which could give clues as to why Mars is now missing the water that it once had.

Hope is expected to collect more than 1,000GB of new data, which will be shared with more than 200 academic and scientific institutions around the world.

Hope probe to Mars - the journey so far

  • Hope probe captures an image of Mars after clocking one million kilometres since its launch into space on July 20, 2020. Courtesy: Sheikh Mohammed Twitter
    Hope probe captures an image of Mars after clocking one million kilometres since its launch into space on July 20, 2020. Courtesy: Sheikh Mohammed Twitter
  • An image beamed back from the UAE's Hope probe on December 7 showing Saturn and Jupiter in close proximity to each other. Courtesy: Hope probe / MBR Space Centre
    An image beamed back from the UAE's Hope probe on December 7 showing Saturn and Jupiter in close proximity to each other. Courtesy: Hope probe / MBR Space Centre
  • Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid shares an image of Mars taken by the Hope Probe on December 3, 2020. Courtesy: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid / Twitter
    Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid shares an image of Mars taken by the Hope Probe on December 3, 2020. Courtesy: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid / Twitter
  • Media and officials at Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai cheer as the Hope probe is blasted into space from Japan on July 20, 2020. Ahmed Jadallah / Reuters
    Media and officials at Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai cheer as the Hope probe is blasted into space from Japan on July 20, 2020. Ahmed Jadallah / Reuters
  • At the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre headquarters in Al Khawaneej, where Emirati engineers monitor Hope's journey to Mars, on July 27, 2020. Antonie Robertson / The National
    At the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre headquarters in Al Khawaneej, where Emirati engineers monitor Hope's journey to Mars, on July 27, 2020. Antonie Robertson / The National
  • Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Dubai, stand for a photograph with the Hope Probe team, during an honouring ceremony at Qasr Al Watan on July 31, 2020. Hamad Al Kaabi / Ministry of Presidential Affairs
    Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Dubai, stand for a photograph with the Hope Probe team, during an honouring ceremony at Qasr Al Watan on July 31, 2020. Hamad Al Kaabi / Ministry of Presidential Affairs
  • Fatima Al Bannai (on stage - centre right) and Saeed Al Gergawi (on stage - centre left) present during a ceremony to honour the Hope probe team, at Qasr Al Watan, on July 31, 2020. Courtesy: Hamad Al Mansoori for the Ministry of Presidential Affairs
    Fatima Al Bannai (on stage - centre right) and Saeed Al Gergawi (on stage - centre left) present during a ceremony to honour the Hope probe team, at Qasr Al Watan, on July 31, 2020. Courtesy: Hamad Al Mansoori for the Ministry of Presidential Affairs
  • The Red Planet, where the Hope probe arrives on February 9 for an orbit insertion attempt. Getty
    The Red Planet, where the Hope probe arrives on February 9 for an orbit insertion attempt. Getty
  • Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Sciences and chairwoman of the UAE Space Agency, briefs Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, on the Hope probe mission on February 1. Courtesy: Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid / Twitter
    Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Sciences and chairwoman of the UAE Space Agency, briefs Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, on the Hope probe mission on February 1. Courtesy: Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid / Twitter
  • A billboard on Al Khail Road advertises the UAE Mars Mission. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    A billboard on Al Khail Road advertises the UAE Mars Mission. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Burj Khalifa lights up for the Hope probe on February 6, 2021. Giuseppe Cacace / AFP
    Burj Khalifa lights up for the Hope probe on February 6, 2021. Giuseppe Cacace / AFP
  • Zakareyya Al Shamsi, deputy manager of mission operation, at Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre in Al Khawaneej, Dubai, on February 2, 2021. Antonie Robertson / The National
    Zakareyya Al Shamsi, deputy manager of mission operation, at Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre in Al Khawaneej, Dubai, on February 2, 2021. Antonie Robertson / The National
  • The Hope Probe will attempt a Mars orbit insertion on Tuesday, February 9. Courtesy: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid / Twitter
    The Hope Probe will attempt a Mars orbit insertion on Tuesday, February 9. Courtesy: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid / Twitter
  • Sheikh Mohammed is briefed by the Hope probe team at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre headquarters on February 18, 2020, ahead of the launch of the spacecraft in July. Wam
    Sheikh Mohammed is briefed by the Hope probe team at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre headquarters on February 18, 2020, ahead of the launch of the spacecraft in July. Wam
  • Engineers are pictured as the Hope probe is transferred from Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre to its launch site at the station on Tanegashima Island in Japan. The crew faced travel challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Courtesy: UAE Space Agency and MBRSC
    Engineers are pictured as the Hope probe is transferred from Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre to its launch site at the station on Tanegashima Island in Japan. The crew faced travel challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Courtesy: UAE Space Agency and MBRSC
  • The Hope probe is transferred to the launch site at the space station on Tanegashima Island in Japan. Courtesy: UAE Space Agency and MBRSC
    The Hope probe is transferred to the launch site at the space station on Tanegashima Island in Japan. Courtesy: UAE Space Agency and MBRSC
  • Engineers work on the hope probe ahead of its launch in July 2020. Courtesy: Emirates Mars Mission
    Engineers work on the hope probe ahead of its launch in July 2020. Courtesy: Emirates Mars Mission
  • Hope is launched into space on board an H-2A rocket from Tanegashima Space Centre in southwestern Japan. Courtesy: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
    Hope is launched into space on board an H-2A rocket from Tanegashima Space Centre in southwestern Japan. Courtesy: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
  • People wait for the launch of the Hope probe at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai on July 19, 2020. Giuseppe Cacace / AFP
    People wait for the launch of the Hope probe at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai on July 19, 2020. Giuseppe Cacace / AFP
  • People wait for the launch of the Hope Mars probe at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai on July 19, 2020. Giuseppe Cacace / AFP
    People wait for the launch of the Hope Mars probe at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai on July 19, 2020. Giuseppe Cacace / AFP
  • The Hope probe is launched into space on July 20, 2020. Giuseppe Cacace / AFP
    The Hope probe is launched into space on July 20, 2020. Giuseppe Cacace / AFP
  • The Museum of the Future is lit up in red to celebrate the Hope probe's mission to Mars. Antonie Robertson / The National
    The Museum of the Future is lit up in red to celebrate the Hope probe's mission to Mars. Antonie Robertson / The National
  • All eyes are on today's countdown before the UAE's Hope probe reaches Mars' orbit. AP
    All eyes are on today's countdown before the UAE's Hope probe reaches Mars' orbit. AP
  • Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, visit the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre​​​​​ in February 2020. Wam
    Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, visit the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre​​​​​ in February 2020. Wam
  • Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, visits Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre on February 8, 2021 ahead of the Hope probe reaching Mars. Courtesy: Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Twitter
    Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, visits Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre on February 8, 2021 ahead of the Hope probe reaching Mars. Courtesy: Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Twitter
While you're here

Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai

16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership

Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.

Zones

A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full

KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
While you're here
Main report
Europe’s rearming plan
  • Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
  • Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
  • Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
  • Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
  • Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

Tips from the expert

Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.

  1. Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
  2. It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
  3. Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
  4. Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.
While you're here
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE

Estijaba – 8001717 –  number to call to request coronavirus testing

Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111

Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre

Emirates airline – 600555555

Etihad Airways – 600555666

Ambulance – 998

Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries

The specs: 2017 Lotus Evora Sport 410

Price, base / as tested Dh395,000 / Dh420,000

Engine 3.5L V6

Transmission Six-speed manual

Power 410hp @ 7,000rpm

Torque 420Nm @ 3,500rpm

Fuel economy, combined 9.7L / 100km

Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

How to wear a kandura

Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
  • Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Read more from Kareem Shaheen

Leap of Faith

Michael J Mazarr

Public Affairs

Dh67
 

Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE

There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.

It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.

What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.

When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.

It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.

This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.

It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.

Brief scores:

Toss: Nepal, chose to field

UAE 153-6: Shaiman (59), Usman (30); Regmi 2-23

Nepal 132-7: Jora 53 not out; Zahoor 2-17

Result: UAE won by 21 runs

Series: UAE lead 1-0

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