The UAE Space Agency has held discussions with Nasa about sending astronauts back to the Moon's surface within this decade.
The two agencies discussed the Artemis programme, human spaceflight, climate change research and planetary science.
Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Sciences and chairwoman of the UAE Space Agency, met Nasa’s deputy administrator Pam Melroy on the sidelines of a major space conference in Dubai on Tuesday.
“It was an honour to meet with Sarah Al Amiri and leaders from the UAE Space Agency and the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, our hosts for the International Astronautical Congress,” Ms Melroy said.
It was an honour to meet with Sarah Al Amiri and leaders from the UAE Space Agency and the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, our hosts for the International Astronautical Congress
Pam Melroy,
Nasa
“We discussed human space flight, climate change research, Nasa’s Artemis, planetary science and the future.”
UAE astronauts have previously expressed an interest in joining the Artemis programme.
Nora Al Matrooshi, the first Arab female astronaut, and Mohammed Al Mulla said they were keen on becoming part of the programme at a press conference earlier this year.
Through the Artemis programme, Nasa aims to send the first woman and next man to the lunar surface by 2024.
The long-term plan is to build a lunar-orbiting space station, called Lunar Gateway, and use the Moon as a base, so the first astronauts can go to Mars from there.
Nasa hopes to launch a flight without crew to the Moon in February, sending its Orion spacecraft aboard the Space Launch System — one of the world’s most powerful rockets — around the lunar orbit.
The UAE has expanded its partnership with Nasa in the past few years. It signed the Artemis Accords for responsible lunar exploration last year and an agreement on training four Emirati astronauts at Nasa’s space centre in Houston.
Mike Gold, the former acting associate administrator for Nasa's Office of International and Interagency Relations, told The National then in an exclusive interview that the UAE’s signing of the accords would pave the way for sending the first Emirati to the Moon.
“The UAE can, and we hope will, become a strong and robust partner in the Artemis programme,” said Mr Gold, referring to the project that seeks to establish a human base on the Moon.
“We look forward to collaborating not only on lunar rovers, but on other forms of science and orbiters, and eventually human space flight as well. The UAE is not only ambitious, but it follows ambitions with funding and actions, which is why they are such an excellent partner for us to join in this unprecedented journey of discovery.”
Nasa’s Artemis programme and the Lunar Gateway have attracted many international partnerships.
A Canadian astronaut is part of the Artemis 2 flight, which would be the first flight that returns a man and the first woman to lunar orbit since the Apollo missions.
The European Space Agency is building the International Habitation module for the gateway, while Japan has agreed to provide life support capabilities and additional space for crew on the module.
Apart from sending Emirati astronauts to the Moon, there are also opportunities for the UAE to enhance its engineering capabilities under the Artemis programme.
The International Astronautical Congress is taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre until October 29.
Heads of space agencies, policymakers and private space companies are attending the event, which is being hosted by an Arab country for the first time since it began in 1950.
The UAE Space Agency also held meetings with the Indian Space Agency, Brazil and Luxembourg on Tuesday.
UAE astronauts at Expo's Space Week: in pictures
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2 (Benzema 13', Kroos 28')
Barcelona 1 (Mingueza 60')
Red card: Casemiro (Real Madrid)
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
Roll%20of%20Honour%2C%20men%E2%80%99s%20domestic%20rugby%20season
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Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
CHELSEA SQUAD
Arrizabalaga, Bettinelli, Rudiger, Christensen, Silva, Chalobah, Sarr, Azpilicueta, James, Kenedy, Alonso, Jorginho, Kante, Kovacic, Saul, Barkley, Ziyech, Pulisic, Mount, Hudson-Odoi, Werner, Havertz, Lukaku.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Short-term let permits explained
Homeowners and tenants are allowed to list their properties for rental by registering through the Dubai Tourism website to obtain a permit.
Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.
There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.
Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Norway
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Canada
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Third-place play-off: New Zealand v Wales, Friday, 1pm
How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
Results
5.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Dirt) 1,600m, Winner: Panadol, Mickael Barzalona (jockey), Salem bin Ghadayer (trainer)
6.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m, Winner: Mayehaab, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
6.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh85,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Monoski, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
7.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh102,500 (T) 1,800m, Winner: Eastern World, Royston Ffrench, Charlie Appleby
7.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Madkal, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
8.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (T) 1,200m, Winner: Taneen, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 720hp
Torque: 770Nm
Price: Dh1,100,000
On sale: now
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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THE LOWDOWN
Romeo Akbar Walter
Rating: 2/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Robby Grewal
Cast: John Abraham, Mouni Roy, Jackie Shroff and Sikandar Kher
