Why UAE leaders have changed their social media profile photos

Dubai - All the ministries and government departments have changed their profile photos, too.

UAE leaders, royals, ministries and government departments have changed their social media profile photos to the logo of the country's historic Mars mission. The Hope probe will blast off to Mars on July 15 at 00:51:27 UAE time from Japan's Tanegashima Space Centre.

Featuring an image of the Red Planet with a round border of the UAE flag, the logo says 'Hope Mars Mission 2020' in both English and Arabic. It's supported by a tag line that reads 'Arabs to Mars', reflecting the fact that the UAE's Hope probe is the Arab world's first inter-planetary mission.

Leading from the front in effecting the profile photo change are His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
All the ministries and government departments have changed their profile photos, too.
The Hope probe will reach its Martian orbit in the first quarter of 2021, which will mark the golden jubilee of the emirates' union in 1971. It will help understand climate dynamics in the Martian atmosphere and explore why the planet is losing hydrogen and oxygen. Data collected will be shared with over 200 research centres across the world.
sahim@khaleejtimes.com 

• UAE