UAE's Hope Probe to Mars consolidates UAE's vision of a knowledge-based economy, experts say

The launch of the UAE's Hope Probe to Mars, which is the first ever Arab mission to the Red Planet, will highlight the strength of the UAE's innovative endeavors, while inspiring generations of new talent into entering the fields of science and technology, business leaders across the region said.
"A big congratulations to the UAE on your successful launch and inspiring future generations. First to the ISS and now Mars!" said Bernard Dunn, president of Boeing Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey.
The UAE's Mars Hope Probe will blast off into space in order to study the Red Planet's atmosphere and climate like never before. The spacecraft will provide the first global picture of the Martian atmosphere and data will be shared freely with over 200 research centers across the world.
"We are upbeat, optimistic, and are immensely proud of the Hope Probe mission, which shows to the world our ability to make significant strides in space research, led by promising young minds that have successfully transformed this project from a dream to reality," said Sheikh Ahmed Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, chairman of Ajman Free Zone.
He added that the first Arab probe to Mars lays a solid foundation to support preparations for the next 50 years, during which, the UAE will enter a new era of progress and development, inspired by the wisdom and values instilled by the UAE's founding rulers."
Shailesh Dash, entrepreneur and financier, said the Mars mission is another feather in the cap of UAE like always leading the Arab world in the forefront of scientific development. 
"It's a logical development in the status of the country which has developed itself to be a really developed player in almost every field today be it business, finance, infrastructure, technology, etc. This shows the younger generation of UAE is ready to take the big leap and lead the country into the future and have the strength to make the impossible to be possible," he said.
Similarly, Salem Al Nuaimi, chairman, Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), said: "Almost 49 years ago, our great country was established by our Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and today this momentous day truly reflects his legacy and takes it forward to the next chapter. Under the guidance of the wise leadership of the UAE, Emiratis are making history and with the unwavering commitment of the people of UAE, the nation's vision coming to life. The same perseverance, dedication and tenacity has been displayed during the recent pandemic and is a marker of our nation's DNA and of the resilience of our people."
"I am filled with immense pride as the UAE becomes the first Arab nation to have an interplanetary mission and orbit the red planet," he said. "This leap reminds us to continue hoping and believing in new horizons, and is a testament for the next generation to dare to dream. I would like to congratulate our leaders as well as our Emirati brothers and sisters on achieving the feat of making the Hope Mars Mission a reality."
"The Mars Hope Probe will be another landmark space mission, which truly reflects the vision of the Rulers of the UAE. We celebrate the defining moment of the first Arab space mission starting its journey towards the Red Planet. This journey to space shows that the UAE has the innovation, resilience and efforts to compete with the greatest of nations in the race for knowledge," said Kamal Vachani, group director at Al Maya Group.
"We will be the first Arab nation to reach the Red Planet. For sure, it's a proud moment for each one of us. This will demonstrate, UAE's space capabilities. This is just the beginning and I am confident that our scientists will continue to scale greater heights and win more laurels for the country in the field of space exploration in the future," added Rizwan Sajan, founder and chairman of Danube of Group.
Wojciech Bajda, head of Ericsson GCC, noted that the Arab world's first mission to Mars is a key milestone - and the UAE's robust and wise leadership that has led the nation to this day is essential to the progress of science in the Middle East region and beyond.
"Ericsson supports the UAE on its quest to reach the farthest corners of the universe and its aspirations to shape our understanding of space," he said. "We are proud of UAE's competent leaders whose innovative endeavors in space have gained global recognition."
Ahmed Khashan, cluster president, Gulf Countries at Schneider Electric, said that the launch of the UAE Mars Probe should be celebrated by everyone.
"It's not just a triumph for the country's scientists and engineers, but it's also an inspiration for what we can achieve through technology," he said. "And that's my hope, in that this fascinates and motivates more young people to enter into the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. There are so many opportunities for us to create a Middle East that will create and innovate, that will invent and progress. And to do that, we need more engineers and scientists."
He added: "The 21st century will be one of immense progress in terms of technology, be it autonomous electric vehicles, smart buildings and cities. And we must show the young people of the Middle East that science can be inspiring. That is what the UAE has done with the Mars Probe. It has given us hope of a science-led future for the region."
"The launch of the Hope Probe represents a starting point of the UAE's journey into a new era. Today, we are standing on the threshold of a historic achievement - one where our country begins its participation in the global race for space exploration. This landmark bid will play a key role in the move to further develop the capabilities of national competencies in the field of space technology and science, which in turn will provide a much-needed boost for international scientific and technological research," said Mohammed Alsharaf, chief operations officer, Eltizam Asset Management Group.
Mansoor Sarwar, regional director at Sage Middle East, also said that the Emirates Mars Mission consolidates the UAE's vision of a knowledge-based economy that values sustainable development, while focusing on efficiency and cutting edge research. "The UAE's investment in the space sector represents its commitment to learning and to finding ways of enhancing the diversification of non-oil based economy. We congratulate the UAE's forward-thinking leadership on this great achievement, which has again set a precedent for the region."
- rohma@khaleejtimes.com