Abu Dhabi: UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met with His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court.Their Highnesses engaged in cordial conversations, praying for the continued security, stability and prosperity of the UAE.The meeting also addressed the ongoing nationwide efforts undertaken by various military and civilian institutions and teams. Their Highnesses commended the effectiveness of the armed forces and the efforts of all military institutions and security services in safeguarding the nation’s security, territorial integrity and the safety of its people and residents in the face of the Iranian terrorist attacks targeting the UAE.Their Highnesses affirmed that the UAE has overcome the crisis with strength, resilience and determination, underscoring the country’s ability to address challenges through the effectiveness of its institutions and the unity and cohesion of its society.The meeting was attended by H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi; H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance; H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai; H.H. Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in Al Ain Region; H.H. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior; H.H. Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan; H.H. Sheikh Khalid bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Zayed Authority for People of Determination; H.H. Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes’ Affairs; H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs; H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group; Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence; Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Adviser to the UAE President; along with a number of Sheikhs and officials.

Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates continues to strengthen its position in the global space sector in 2026 through a series of initiatives and achievements aimed at advancing knowledge and supporting economic growth.The UAE will join the world on 12th April in marking the International Day of Human Space Flight, coinciding this year with the country’s adoption of the National Space Strategy 2031, designed to boost the sector’s contribution to the economy.The strategy focuses on three main goals: building a resilient and investment-attractive space ecosystem, strengthening global partnerships and market access, and developing competitive infrastructure and facilities.Key targets include doubling space economy revenues, placing the UAE among the world’s top 10 space economies by 2031, increasing the sector’s economic contribution, and expanding the number of national companies, export markets and space-related investments.The announcement follows progress under the previous strategy, which saw the development of advanced local capabilities in space technology, the launch of scientific missions, and stronger international partnerships. The UAE has developed 30 satellites, while more than 170 entities are now active in the space economy.Earlier this year, the UAE extended the Mars Probe mission until 2028, following its operational success and continued collection of data on Mars’ atmosphere and climate.Since its launch, the mission has released more than 10 terabytes of scientific data and published around 16 data releases for researchers and the global scientific community, alongside more than 35 peer-reviewed studies.In January, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre released new high-resolution images captured by the “MBZ-SAT” satellite, marking one year since its launch.In March, a decree was issued to establish the Sharjah Space and Astronomy Complex, alongside the launch of the CubeSat “Sharjah Sat-2”, aimed at providing high-resolution spectral data to support research and strategic planning.In research developments, an international team led by New York University Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with Jilin University, China, has discovered a new type of organic crystal that can repair itself after being damaged at extremely low temperatures. This breakthrough could pave the way for the next generation of durable, lightweight materials designed to perform in some of the harshest environments on Earth and space.Separately, the National Space Academy launched the first edition of the "Arab Youth Space Hackathon”, providing a platform for young talent to develop applications in Earth observation and hyperspectral data.