US pavilion organisers at Expo 2020 Dubai are on the hunt for a permanent home in the UAE for an enormous SpaceX rocket model that was on display at the world's fair.
The 43-metre tall Falcon 9 booster replica was one of the most eye-catching displays at the mega event, which welcomed visitors into the US pavilion for six months.
Mist flowing from beneath the model represented the white smoke that leaves the rocket as it lifts-off the ground, and red lighting and sound effects made the display even more realistic.
Christine Lawson, deputy consul general at the US Consulate in Dubai, said during a space diplomacy talk on Thursday the booster replica could continue to be a top visitor attraction in the Emirates.
“If you visited the US pavilion at the expo, you saw a replica of the Falcon 9, and we're hoping to find a permanent home for that here in the UAE, so everyone can continue to enjoy that,” she said.
The US pavilion had a strong focus on space-themed displays, including Moon rock samples brought back by Apollo missions, a replica of one of its Mars rovers and a visit from astronaut Scott Kelly.
Thursday's event was organised by the Diplomacy Lab, a community-driven initiative that focuses on innovation, culture and youth. It was set up by the Fatima Bint Mohamed Bin Zayed Initiative and the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy.
The lab is holding a series of dialogues with senior government officials who will shed light on diplomacy-related topics.
Salem Al Marri, director general of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, and Adnan Al Rais, project manager of Mars 2117, were guest speakers at the event.
Ms Lawson gave the closing remarks, where she also spoke about the relationship between the UAE and US with regards to space exploration.
“The UAE was one of the very first countries to sign on to the Artemis Accords, which is going to set the guidelines for space exploration,” she said.
“They also worked very closely with some of our US universities on the Hope probe. We're proud of our co-operation with Emirati astronauts and our Nasa training programme.
“We’re really looking forward to some of the future collaborations, whether that's data sharing between the Mars probe and Nasa’s MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) programme, or the launch of the Rashid lunar rover, which is going to take place from one of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets out of the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.”
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
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
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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UAE central contracts
Full time contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ahmed Raza, Mohammed Usman, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid
Part time contracts
Aryan Lakra, Ansh Tandon, Karthik Meiyappan, Rahul Bhatia, Alishan Sharafu, CP Rizwaan, Basil Hameed, Matiullah, Fahad Nawaz, Sanchit Sharma
LIVING IN...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
About RuPay
A homegrown card payment scheme launched by the National Payments Corporation of India and backed by the Reserve Bank of India, the country’s central bank
RuPay process payments between banks and merchants for purchases made with credit or debit cards
It has grown rapidly in India and competes with global payment network firms like MasterCard and Visa.
In India, it can be used at ATMs, for online payments and variations of the card can be used to pay for bus, metro charges, road toll payments
The name blends two words rupee and payment
Some advantages of the network include lower processing fees and transaction costs
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
