The launch of the Emirati-built Rashid rover will help to pave the way for the UAE’s long-term Moon exploration programme.
The first lunar spacecraft built by an Arab country is set to blast off from a spaceport in Florida on Sunday.
As anticipation builds for this landmark mission, The National looks at what we know about the Rashid rover.
Who built the Rashid rover?
The four-wheel rover, weighing only 10 kilograms, has been built by engineers from the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre.
A core team of 11 are behind the mission’s development and have been working on it since 2017.
They hope the rover will land on the Moon’s near side, the one that faces the Earth, to study an unexplored region.
The rover is named in honour of the late Sheikh Rashid Al Saeed, the former Ruler of Dubai and the father of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.
When is it launching?
The UAE's Rashid lunar rover is geared up for launch on Sunday after two previous attempts late last month were postponed due to technical issues.
The launch is scheduled for 11.38am, UAE time, from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
How will it travel to the Moon and land on the surface?
The rover is hitching a ride on the Hakuto-R Mission 1 lander, built by Japanese company ispace. This is also ispace's first lunar mission.
A lander is a type of spacecraft that can touch down on a planetary surface. It is equipped with a propulsion and navigation system that allows it to power through space and land safely with its cargo.
Rashid was integrated into the lander last month and together the package was expected to be shipped to the launch site at that time.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket belonging to Tesla founder Elon Musk's company will carry the mission to space.
From there, the lander will make its three-month journey to the Moon, with the rover safely stored inside.
The goal is to land in the Atlas crater in the Mare Frigoris site, located in the far-north of the Moon’s near side.
If it manages to soft-land on the lunar surface, the lander will set Rashid down on a ramp. They will then communicate by wireless, in the same way mission control monitors the spacecraft and its payload on its journey to the Moon and on the surface.
What will Rashid do there?
Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre says that this is a science mission.
The rover will study the properties of lunar soil, the petrography and geology of the Moon, dust movement, and study surface plasma conditions and the Moon's photoelectron sheath.
Lunar dust, or regolith, is one of the main challenges astronauts face on the Moon.
It was during the Apollo missions that scientists learnt how lunar dust stuck to spacesuits, causing erosion and operational problems.
With space agencies determined to send human beings to the Moon again, razor-sharp lunar dust particles remain a concern as they stick to nearly everything.
The Rashid rover is designed to address this problem with an experiment that will test different materials against the dust.
Called the material adhesive experiment, a variety of test samples would be attached to the rover’s wheels.
In addition, mission control in Dubai is also expecting to receive thousands of images from the rover.
The French space agency has supplied two cameras to the rover. One is placed on top for panoramic images of the robot’s surroundings. The other one is a rear camera that would capture images as the lander throws up regolith behind it.
How long will it ‘stay alive’ for?
The mission will last one lunar day, or 14 Earth days.
The team also hopes the rover can survive the lunar night, also 14 days, when temperatures plunge to -183°C.
Will there be more Moon missions by the UAE?
Yes, the UAE announced a long-term Moon exploration programme that would involve multiple missions.
It is already working on Rashid 2. China will help to launch the rover on its Chang’e-7 lunar south pole mission in 2026.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
Suggested picnic spots
Abu Dhabi
Umm Al Emarat Park
Yas Gateway Park
Delma Park
Al Bateen beach
Saadiyaat beach
The Corniche
Zayed Sports City
Dubai
Kite Beach
Zabeel Park
Al Nahda Pond Park
Mushrif Park
Safa Park
Al Mamzar Beach Park
Al Qudrah Lakes
Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
- 7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
- 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
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OUTS
Pablo Zabaleta, Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy, Willy Caballero and Jesus Navas (all released)
INS
Ederson (Benfica) £34.7m, Bernardo Silva (Monaco) £43m
ON THEIR WAY OUT?
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Infiniti QX80 specs
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Power: 450hp
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AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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“There clearly remains a significant armoured heavy ground manoeuvre threat in this world and maintaining a world class armoured force is absolutely vital,” the general said in London last week.
“We are developing next generation capabilities to compete with and deter adversaries to prevent opportunism or miscalculation, and, if necessary, defeat any foe decisively.”
Empires%20of%20the%20Steppes%3A%20A%20History%20of%20the%20Nomadic%20Tribes%20Who%20Shaped%20Civilization
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Bert van Marwijk factfile
Born: May 19 1952
Place of birth: Deventer, Netherlands
Playing position: Midfielder
Teams managed:
1998-2000 Fortuna Sittard
2000-2004 Feyenoord
2004-2006 Borussia Dortmund
2007-2008 Feyenoord
2008-2012 Netherlands
2013-2014 Hamburg
2015-2017 Saudi Arabia
2018 Australia
Major honours (manager):
2001/02 Uefa Cup, Feyenoord
2007/08 KNVB Cup, Feyenoord
World Cup runner-up, Netherlands
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Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
