Abu Dhabi's research and development centre is primed to deliver a major boost to the UAE's flourishing space programme.
The Advanced Technology Research Council is to set up a propulsion centre to help to put the nation on the fast track in the global space race.
The propulsion research centre will embrace advances in technology in an effort to make spacecraft go faster and further than before, as well as improve their fuel efficiency and carbon emissions.
The cutting-edge strategy aims to cement the Emirates' growing status as a leading player in the space sector.
The country has taken huge strides forward in recent years, from putting its first astronaut on the International Space Station to sending the historic Hope Probe on a successful journey to Mars in a first for the Arab world.
A mission to the Moon is set for lift-off next year while a long-term plan to explore the asteroid belt and complete a fly-by of Venus in 2028 is already taking shape.
Now the capital's nerve centre for future innovation hopes to steer its lofty ambitions to even greater heights.
“There was initial scepticism about the ability of a young entity to achieve what many established research hubs have been unable to do – attract global talent and patent breakthrough solutions right here to give the country greater autonomy in the advanced technology space,” said Faisal Al Bannai, secretary general of ATRC, at the opening of the research centre a little over a year ago.
Two other research centres will also be opened as part of a grand vision to drive the country's development for decades to come.
An alternative energy research centre will focus on water security and improving technology applications amid a growing push to convert utility grids to renewable energy.
And building on the UAE’s R&D capabilities in genetic engineering, biomaterials and autonomous devices, the new biotechnology research centre will focus on breakthroughs in health care, food and agriculture.
The state-of-the-art centre already has seven operating labs in areas such as quantum computing – where building of the Middle East's first quantum computer is under way – and cryptography.
Abu Dhabi's applied research initiatives are a critical part of the UAE's efforts to diversify from a reliance on oil exports and develop a knowledge-based economy.
Mr Al Bannai also told of plans to expand the ATRC's applied research pillar, the Technology Innovation Institute.
In its first year, TII's research centres signed 65 global partnership agreements with 37 universities, research centres and industrial stakeholders, and filed five patents, crucial to protecting new ideas and bringing them to market.
The centres employ 101 Emiratis associate researchers and scientists.
The advent of artificial intelligence, quantum computing and more sophisticated cyber security threats means that nations around the world are concerned with developing independent technology – and the UAE is no different.
Designs and innovation key to the progress of the country will be supported by VentureOne, the new commercial arm of the ATRC.
It will set out to ensure the country's best ideas become a reality by bringing them to market at speed while protecting intellectual property.
Mr Al Bannai said the ATRC's plans are in line with the UAE’s Principles of the 50 and Projects of the 50 initiatives, a series of programmes to boost economic growth and prepare the country for a rapidly changing future.
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Unresolved crisis
Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a bitter conflict since 2014, when Ukraine’s Kremlin-friendly president was ousted, Moscow annexed Crimea and then backed a separatist insurgency in the east.
Fighting between the Russia-backed rebels and Ukrainian forces has killed more than 14,000 people. In 2015, France and Germany helped broker a peace deal, known as the Minsk agreements, that ended large-scale hostilities but failed to bring a political settlement of the conflict.
The Kremlin has repeatedly accused Kiev of sabotaging the deal, and Ukrainian officials in recent weeks said that implementing it in full would hurt Ukraine.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Defending champions
World Series: South Africa
Women’s World Series: Australia
Gulf Men’s League: Dubai Exiles
Gulf Men’s Social: Mediclinic Barrelhouse Warriors
Gulf Vets: Jebel Ali Dragons Veterans
Gulf Women: Dubai Sports City Eagles
Gulf Under 19: British School Al Khubairat
Gulf Under 19 Girls: Dubai Exiles
UAE National Schools: Al Safa School
International Invitational: Speranza 22
International Vets: Joining Jack
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
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
TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
Political Security Directorate
Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
Sama TV
More about Middle East geopolitics
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
