A renowned scientist who worked on America’s Apollo programme in the 1960s has described the late Sheikh Zayed’s enthusiasm for space exploration.
Dr Farouk El-Baz said he first met the Founding Father in the UAE in 1974, five years after the US landed the first man on the Moon.
At that time, much of the world was still in thrall to the international space race and Nasa’s extraterrestrial ambitions.
Sheikh Zayed also had a great interest in space, and welcomed the chance to meet Dr El-Baz, who was then part of the American space agency team.
“It was my third time meeting him and I was sent there by Nasa, along with three American astronauts and two Russian cosmonauts,” said Dr El-Baz, describing a photo taken at the time.
“There was a space shuttle that was being designed, and we took it with us to show Sheikh Zayed what we had planned.
He was fascinated by it and asked a lot of interesting questions. I was very delighted to meet him early in the game."
“He was fascinated by it and asked a lot of interesting questions. I was very delighted to meet him early in the game.”
Dr El-Baz was speaking during a virtual online discussion held by the Emirates Literature Foundation on Saturday.
The Egyptian American scientist was the lead geologist on the Apollo programme, playing a key role in the Apollo 11 Moon landing mission.
He recalled how on meeting in the UAE, Sheikh Zayed had encouraged him to share his expertise on space exploration with Abu Dhabi school pupils.
A photograph of the men together, along with three Apollo astronauts, would later go on to inspire the Emirate’s first astronaut, Maj Hazza Al Mansouri.
Maj Al Mansouri took a copy of the photo on his mission to the International Space Station last year.
“When I first went there [the UAE] in 1974 to meet him [Sheikh Zayed] about the scientific results of the Apollo mission to the Moon, there were no photographers,” said Dr El-Baz.
“The second time the Apollo 15 astronauts took my photos with him. The third time, the photos in 1976, there was media present.”
In September last year, Maj Al Mansouri became the first Arab astronaut to be sent to the space station.
He spent eight days on board the ISS, where he was involved in performing a series of experiments, before returning to Earth and touching down in Kazakhstan on October 3.
Once back in the UAE, the astronaut recreated the 1976 photo showing the Founding Father that had so inspired him.
This time, the new image included Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.
On Saturday, Dr El-Baz spoke of his hopes for the formation of an Arab space agency.
The UAE has created what is known as the Arab Space Co-operation Group, of which 14 nations are part.
Dr Mohammed Al Ahbabi, director-general of the UAE Space Agency, has said that the country’s long-term goal was to form an Arab space agency.
“We have the capabilities, but the only problem is that we have not looked at our young people and pushed them,” Dr El-Baz said.
“The UAE has reached its position of greatness today only because it supported its young people – men and women.”
This week, the Emirates is scheduled to launch its Hope probe to Mars from the Tanegashima Space Centre in Japan.
Dr El-Baz said research obtained from the mission would benefit scientists around the world.
“We are also going to benefit from the data of wind circulation around Mars that this mission is going to be giving us,” he said.
“We will be able to see the relationship between the wind pattern in the upper atmosphere and the one in lower atmosphere, and therefore understand the creation of the sandstorms on Mars.”
Zaki Nusseibeh, a UAE Minister of State, who was also part of the online discussion, described the probe as a “revolutionary moment”.
“This probe has already established a record that is truly astounding – completed within six years,” he said.
“[The UAE] did not go buy a ready-made probe from a supplier, we are now building our own by collaborating with others.”
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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Gothia Cup 2025
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76 nations
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Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
MATCH INFO
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Man of the match Leonardo Bittencourt (Werder Bremen)
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Manny Pacquiao
Record: 59-6-2 (38 KOs)
Age: 38
Weight: 146lbs
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Reach: 173cm
Oscars in the UAE
The 90th Academy Awards will be aired in the UAE from 3.30am on Monday, March 5 on OSN, with the ceremony starting at 5am
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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
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- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
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- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Bio:
Favourite Quote: Prophet Mohammad's quotes There is reward for kindness to every living thing and A good man treats women with honour
Favourite Hobby: Serving poor people
Favourite Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite food: Fish and vegetables
Favourite place to visit: London
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
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The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 420 bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: from Dh293,200
On sale: now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
Napoleon
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Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
