• This hemispheric view of Venus, as revealed by more than a decade of radar investigations culminating in the 1990-1994 Magellan mission, is centred on the North Pole. Nasa's Magellan spacecraft took pictures of more than 98 per cent of Venus. All photos: Nasa
    This hemispheric view of Venus, as revealed by more than a decade of radar investigations culminating in the 1990-1994 Magellan mission, is centred on the North Pole. Nasa's Magellan spacecraft took pictures of more than 98 per cent of Venus. All photos: Nasa
  • The June 5, 2012 transit of Venus, the small dot in the upper right of the disk, was captured by a Johnson Space Centre photographer in Rocket Park, Texas.
    The June 5, 2012 transit of Venus, the small dot in the upper right of the disk, was captured by a Johnson Space Centre photographer in Rocket Park, Texas.
  • A portion of Alpha Regio is displayed in this three-dimensional perspective view of the surface of Venus from Nasa's Magellan spacecraft. In 1963, Alpha Regio was the first feature on Venus to be identified from an Earth-based radar.
    A portion of Alpha Regio is displayed in this three-dimensional perspective view of the surface of Venus from Nasa's Magellan spacecraft. In 1963, Alpha Regio was the first feature on Venus to be identified from an Earth-based radar.
  • Sif Mons is displayed in this computer-simulated view of Venus obtained by Nasa's Magellan spacecraft.
    Sif Mons is displayed in this computer-simulated view of Venus obtained by Nasa's Magellan spacecraft.
  • This crater in the Navka region of Venus was mapped by Nasa's Magellan in September 1990 during orbits 459 and 460. It has the terraced walls, flat radar-dark floor and central peak that are characteristic of craters classified as complex.
    This crater in the Navka region of Venus was mapped by Nasa's Magellan in September 1990 during orbits 459 and 460. It has the terraced walls, flat radar-dark floor and central peak that are characteristic of craters classified as complex.
  • A Nasa image captured on June 5, 2012, one of the rarest predictable solar events: the transit of Venus across the face of the sun.
    A Nasa image captured on June 5, 2012, one of the rarest predictable solar events: the transit of Venus across the face of the sun.

Venus and asteroid belt mission ‘a new and critical phase’ of UAE space programme


Sarwat Nasir
  • English
  • Arabic

The UAE's ambitious mission to explore the asteroid belt and complete a fly-by of Venus is a new and critical phase of the national space programme, the country’s Mars mission director Omran Al Sharaf said.

He said the project would test how well the UAE’s space team can transfer the knowledge gained from the Mars project to the private sector, helping to boost the national economy.

Last week, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, announced a five-year exploration mission to the main asteroid belt, an asteroid landing and a Venus fly-by. A target launch date is set for 2028.

Space project will boost the economy

Speaking online at the Mars Society Convention on Thursday, Mr Al Sharaf said the endeavour would support small and medium businesses.

“It's a new and critical phase in the UAE space programme because one of the biggest challenges is how we can ensure that the knowledge that we've gained through the Mars and previous missions is properly given to the private sector,” he said.

“Because, ultimately, this is about serving our economy and addressing our environmental challenges.”

The new mission will be the most challenging one yet undertaken in the UAE’s space programme, with a total journey of 3.6 billion kilometres – seven times the distance the Hope probe travelled to reach Mars in February 2021.

Still in its concept phase, the mission involves 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.

The spacecraft, which has not been named yet, would fly past seven asteroids and attempt a landing on the last one. The mission’s science objectives will be announced later.

Emirati companies in the private sector would be given a priority on contracts for mission development.

  • Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Sciences, at the launch of a project to explore Venus from 2028. All photos: Ministry of Presidential Affairs / Dubai Media Office
    Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Sciences, at the launch of a project to explore Venus from 2028. All photos: Ministry of Presidential Affairs / Dubai Media Office
  • Ministers and VIPs listen as Ms Al Amiri sets out details of the five-year mission.
    Ministers and VIPs listen as Ms Al Amiri sets out details of the five-year mission.
  • Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, attend the project launch.
    Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, attend the project launch.
  • Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid at the launch.
    Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid at the launch.
  • Ministers, rulers and dignitaries attend the launch of the Venus project with Ms Al Amiri.
    Ministers, rulers and dignitaries attend the launch of the Venus project with Ms Al Amiri.
  • Ms Al Amiri explains the project and sets out the five-year mission timeline.
    Ms Al Amiri explains the project and sets out the five-year mission timeline.

The efforts are part of the country’s new national space strategy, which focuses on establishing a private space sector that contributes to the economy.

For decades, national space programmes were government-run, but now more space agencies are looking to private companies to increase capabilities.

Space sector can help UAE address challenges

Mr Al Sharaf said the economy depends heavily on technology and the mission would help to address challenges the country faces.

“The way we address our national challenges when it comes to food and water security is that we use imported technologies,” he said.

“We need to be able to build customised technologies or solutions that serve and are based on our environment, so this will be the focus of the next phase of the UAE’s space programme.”

The UAE’s mission to Mars was carried out together with Emirati engineers and three US universities.

For the latest mission, the country is teaming up with the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado, Boulder, again.

In an exclusive interview with The National, UAE space chief Sarah Al Amiri had said the space sector would have a direct impact on the national economy in the next five years.

The Minister of State for Advanced Technology and chairperson of the UAE Space Agency said the goal was to make the country a regional hub for the development of spacecraft systems, after establishing a private space industry.

“Most of the current space sector within the Emirates is focused on government spending and programmes across local and federal governments,” she said.

"Today, we're talking about a space sector that has an indirect impact on the economy. In five years, we want to see a space sector that has both an indirect impact on the economy, society, and also a direct impact on the economy."

SPEC SHEET

Display: 6.8" edge quad-HD  dynamic Amoled 2X, Infinity-O, 3088 x 1440, 500ppi, HDR10 , 120Hz

Processor: 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/Exynos 2200, 8-core

Memory: 8/12GB RAM

Storage: 128/256/512GB/1TB

Platform: Android 12

Main camera: quad 12MP ultra-wide f/2.2, 108MP wide f/1.8, 10MP telephoto f/4.9, 10MP telephoto 2.4; Space Zoom up to 100x, auto HDR, expert RAW

Video: 8K@24fps, 4K@60fps, full-HD@60fps, HD@30fps, super slo-mo@960fps

Front camera: 40MP f/2.2

Battery: 5000mAh, fast wireless charging 2.0 Wireless PowerShare

Connectivity: 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC

I/O: USB-C

SIM: single nano, or nano and SIM, nano and nano, eSIM/nano and nano

Colours: burgundy, green, phantom black, phantom white, graphite, sky blue, red

Price: Dh4,699 for 128GB, Dh5,099 for 256GB, Dh5,499 for 512GB; 1TB unavailable in the UAE

The%20Woman%20King%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Gina%20Prince-Bythewood%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Viola%20Davis%2C%20Thuso%20Mbedu%2C%20Sheila%20Atim%2C%20Lashana%20Lynch%2C%20John%20Boyega%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESmartCrowd%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESiddiq%20Farid%20and%20Musfique%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%20%2F%20PropTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24650%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2035%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeries%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVarious%20institutional%20investors%20and%20notable%20angel%20investors%20(500%20MENA%2C%20Shurooq%2C%20Mada%2C%20Seedstar%2C%20Tricap)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Takreem Awards winners 2021

Corporate Leadership: Carl Bistany (Lebanon)

Cultural Excellence: Hoor Al Qasimi (UAE)

Environmental Development and Sustainability: Bkerzay (Lebanon)

Environmental Development and Sustainability: Raya Ani (Iraq)

Humanitarian and Civic Services: Women’s Programs Association (Lebanon)

Humanitarian and Civic Services: Osamah Al Thini (Libya)

Excellence in Education: World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) (Qatar)

Outstanding Arab Woman: Balghis Badri (Sudan)

Scientific and Technological Achievement: Mohamed Slim Alouini (KSA)

Young Entrepreneur: Omar Itani (Lebanon)

Lifetime Achievement: Suad Al Amiry (Palestine)

Trump v Khan

2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US

2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks

2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit

2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”

2022:  Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency

July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”

Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.

Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Alaan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Parthi%20Duraisamy%20and%20Karun%20Kurien%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%247%20million%20raised%20in%20total%20%E2%80%94%20%242.5%20million%20in%20a%20seed%20round%20and%20%244.5%20million%20in%20a%20pre-series%20A%20round%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

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

Results:

6.30pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,400m.
Winner: Walking Thunder, Connor Beasley (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer).

7.05pm: Handicap (rated 72-87) Dh 165,000 1,600m.
Winner: Syncopation, George Buckell, Doug Watson.

7.40pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,400m.
Winner: Big Brown Bear, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.

8.15pm: Handicap (75-95) Dh 190,000 1,200m.
Winner: Stunned, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.

8.50pm: Handicap (85-105) Dh 210,000 2,000m.
Winner: New Trails, Connor Beasley, Ahmad bin Harmash.

9.25pm: Handicap (75-95) Dh 190,000 1,600m.
Winner: Pillar Of Society, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

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

PRIMERA LIGA FIXTURES

All times UAE ( 4 GMT)

Saturday
Atletico Madrid v Sevilla (3pm) 
Alaves v Real Madrid (6.15pm) 
Malaga v Athletic Bilbao (8.30pm) 
Girona v Barcelona (10.45pm)

Sunday
Espanyol v Deportivo la Coruna (2pm) 
Getafe v Villarreal (6.15pm) 
Eibar v Celta Vigo (8.30pm)
Las Palmas v Leganes (8.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Valencia (10.45pm)

Monday
Real Betis v Levante (11.pm)

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
  • Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000 
  • Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000 
  • Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000 
  • Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000 
  • HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000 
  • Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000 
  • Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000 
  • Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000 
  • Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000 
  • Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000 
  • Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000 
  • Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
  • Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
  • Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
How to apply for a drone permit
  • Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
  • Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
  • Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
  • Submit their request
What are the regulations?
  • Fly it within visual line of sight
  • Never over populated areas
  • Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
  • Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
  • Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
  • Should have a live feed of the drone flight
  • Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding

Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.

Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.

Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.

For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae

 

Brief scores:

Day 2

England: 277 & 19-0

West Indies: 154

Vidaamuyarchi

Director: Magizh Thirumeni

Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra

Rating: 4/5

 

Dhadak

Director: Shashank Khaitan

Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana

Stars: 3

25-MAN SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Daniel Akpeyi
Defenders: Olaoluwa Aina, Abdullahi Shehu, Chidozie Awaziem, William Ekong, Leon Balogun, Kenneth Omeruo, Jamilu Collins, Semi Ajayi 
Midfielders: John Obi Mikel, Wilfred Ndidi, Oghenekaro Etebo, John Ogu
Forwards: Ahmed Musa, Victor Osimhen, Moses Simon, Henry Onyekuru, Odion Ighalo, Alexander Iwobi, Samuel Kalu, Paul Onuachu, Kelechi Iheanacho, Samuel Chukwueze 

On Standby: Theophilus Afelokhai, Bryan Idowu, Ikouwem Utin, Mikel Agu, Junior Ajayi, Valentine Ozornwafor

Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

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.
The%20specs
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Updated: October 15, 2021, 6:55 AM