Dubai's Love Lake pictured from space by UAE-made satellite

The man-made lake, in Al Qudra desert, is shaped like two interlocking love hearts

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The first satellite to be made in the UAE captured the hearts of Dubai from hundreds of kilometres away.

An image of Dubai's Love Lake, taken from space by KhalifaSat, was shared by Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre on Monday.

The man-made lake, in Al Qudra desert, is shaped like two interlocking love hearts with trees planted beside the water to spell out the word 'love'.

First revealed by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, on Instagram in November 2018, the lake has become a popular spot for residents and tourists alike.

In March 2019, nine Chinese couples chose the venue for their group wedding. Meraas, Dubai Holding and Hala China were the organisers behind the event, which featured a quick cameo by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai. As well as the wedding, there was also a fashion show.

KhalifaSat is the first completely Emirati-made satellite and was launched into space in October 2018.

The advanced Earth observation satellite has images of places around the world.

Monday's "out of this world" image was shared on Twitter using the hashtag #WorldsCoolestWinter, a nationwide domestic tourism campaign launched by Sheikh Mohammed, who is also Prime Minister of the UAE, last month.

The campaign invites people to explore the hidden gems of the seven emirates and during its 45-day run - overseen by the Ministry of Economy in collaboration with local tourism entities - it aims to highlight the landmarks and attractions that distinguish every emirate and contribute to the UAE as a single destination.

It is part of a wider plan to encourage staycations and double by 2030 the annual Dh41.2 billion ($11.2bn) spent on domestic tourism.