The UAE is hoping one day to lead the space race. As Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, announced on Sunday, the nation is planning the first 100 per cent Arab satellite, designed and built by Emiratis. To be named Khalifa-Sat, it will be manufactured at the Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology in Dubai and is expected to be launched in 2017. It will be the fifth UAE satellite, but the first to be made without external partners, making it a major technological milestone.
As Sheikh Mohammed noted, the project will again put the Arab world at the heart of scientific endeavour. Indeed, this region has had a long association with astronomy, initially spurred on by the need to determine daily prayer times and construct the religious calendar.
During the Islamic Golden Age (the 8th-16th Century AD) – which also saw great advances in medicine, mathematics, cartography, physics and chemistry – astronomers from the Arab and Muslim worlds refined the theories of Ptolemy and set the foundations for the work of Copernicus. Modern science owes much to the likes of Ibn Al Shatir, a pioneer in planetary theory; Muhammad Al Battani, who established the exact length of the solar year; and Al Bitruji, who devised a new model of the astronomical system. Arabs were also at the forefront in the design and manufacture of astronomical instruments.
But building Khalifa-Sat is not about recapturing past glories, it is about this nation’s future. It is an important step in the development of a knowledge-based economy and a tangible demonstration that the UAE can stand alongside other technologically advanced nations. It is also about home-grown opportunities for people already working in space science and engineering, and about inspiring young people to study hard, safe in the knowledge that their nation is serious about encouraging and supporting them in their endeavours.
Sheikh Mohammed said that the leadership’s confidence in the satellite team is “boundless”, and he foreshadowed government support for projects in other fields. The past year has seen a commitment to improving educational standards, along with several initiatives to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship. Khalifa-Sat is creating jobs that require high-level technical skills, a positive sign that the UAE is investing in its human capital and is delivering on its vision to diversify the economy and create a workforce suited to the challenges of today and tomorrow.
The message is clear: the UAE is a young nation that is always looking forward. And Khalifa-Sat is evidence that with the right vision, skill, support and determination, the sky really is the limit.
