![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/I5OONKUIPTXFEH4APV4H3UJKPI.jpg?smart=true&auth=86c4a19522f2652de82ee09e76dcd0d0966fd45fb7af9e82b108b49f2a346fe3&width=400&height=225)
Sir Richard Branson relaxes at the Yas hotel in 2009. Stephen Lock / The National
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Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, met with Sir Richard Branson, chairman of Virgin Galactic, at the World Government Summit in Dubai. Courtesy: WAM
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Sir Richard Branson speaks at the Milken Institute’s Mena Summit in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. Antonie Robertson / The National
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Sir Richard Branson on day 3 at the World Government Summit at Madinat, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
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Michael Milken, Milken Institute, Kevin O’Leary, O’Shares ETFs and Sir Richard Branson at the Milken Summit in Abu Dhabi. Antonie Robertson/The National
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Richard Branson, right, with Vijay Eswaran, the executive chairman of the QI Group, at Yas Marina in 2010.
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/I5OONKUIPTXFEH4APV4H3UJKPI.jpg?smart=true&auth=86c4a19522f2652de82ee09e76dcd0d0966fd45fb7af9e82b108b49f2a346fe3&width=400&height=225)
Sir Richard Branson relaxes at the Yas hotel in 2009. Stephen Lock / The National
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/AF7VH6APK3EPDXVIKQXWJZQV2E.jpg?smart=true&auth=dec61ac9e7f4bfea440796b2859a36f13ac2ae580130ca8af088ed2d9081de35&width=400&height=225)
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, met with Sir Richard Branson, chairman of Virgin Galactic, at the World Government Summit in Dubai. Courtesy: WAM
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/LFRQO7ARVGCVBF6ZZGPFXL3AIQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=a9f2a8ee3aec73b85627ce8ab51cd44c479a4ee2ee65494360d8cb8e056f5379&width=400&height=225)
Sir Richard Branson speaks at the Milken Institute’s Mena Summit in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. Antonie Robertson / The National
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/K4FRVPT6QAPEERS246URXE5K7Q.jpg?smart=true&auth=07ef31d0e5cbf59ea3698413cb74c796a1d6dd8f65b050d47c5cdd07d6b5f953&width=400&height=225)
Sir Richard Branson on day 3 at the World Government Summit at Madinat, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/RQNVONMHQY2D3KEVUMD5KT4AQY.jpg?smart=true&auth=986debade118bca843019e8db75c12839c77f29a4e7af9cfe060a1dadf06db3f&width=400&height=225)
Michael Milken, Milken Institute, Kevin O’Leary, O’Shares ETFs and Sir Richard Branson at the Milken Summit in Abu Dhabi. Antonie Robertson/The National
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/OALS3ZRIOFRKBHZ2EMHUZXU4QI.jpg?smart=true&auth=e93e28cbca6e9c547cb6eaa2176efa3cd63cd71c869a41326c55981e254f00d8&width=400&height=225)
Richard Branson, right, with Vijay Eswaran, the executive chairman of the QI Group, at Yas Marina in 2010.
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/I5OONKUIPTXFEH4APV4H3UJKPI.jpg?smart=true&auth=86c4a19522f2652de82ee09e76dcd0d0966fd45fb7af9e82b108b49f2a346fe3&width=400&height=225)
Sir Richard Branson relaxes at the Yas hotel in 2009. Stephen Lock / The National
Sir Richard Branson presents Emirati space flag to Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi
The UAE national flag recently returned from a Virgin Galactic test flight
![Nick Webster](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Farc-authors%2Fthenational%2F9cfba7f3-8cc8-4789-bcec-97bd0007d9ef.png?smart=true&auth=96a9a5766af20e4704e52306e74ecd02669a7e0ffd084d4151d31e0039a945d3&width=70&height=70)
Nick Webster
09 September, 2019
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