DUBAI // A Canadian astronaut, whose social-media postings from the international space station inspired millions, has offered to consult with authorities here about setting up a space agency.
Chris Hadfield, who had an instrumental role in the formation of the Canadian space agency, has spent the past four days visiting Emirati engineers in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
On Monday he gave a talk at President Sheikh Khalifa’s majlis in the capital.
The UAE last week announced its intention to set up a space agency and launch an orbital probe to Mars by 2021.
“It’s going to take a lot of international cooperation in order to make that work,” said Mr Hadfield. “Hopefully it’s an opportunity for Canada and the UAE to work together.”
Mr Hadfield, who was the commander of the International Space Station for three months last year, was described by Forbes magazine as "perhaps the most social-media savvy astronaut ever to leave Earth".
With the help of his son, Evan, he built a huge online presence and has more than one million followers on Twitter alone. He has had pithy exchanges with William Shatner and other Star Trek actors, and performed a version of David Bowie's Space Oddity with his guitar in the space station.
“It sounds like science fiction, but people have been living in space for 14 years. Until now people hadn’t had any idea of what life was like for those astronauts, and what they were like as people,” said the commander’s son, who is also in the UAE.
The astronaut joined the Canadian Space Agency in 1992, three years after it was formed. He has identified similarities between the Canadian agency’s early experience and the UAE’s aspirations.
He praised the nascent UAE agency as “bold” in setting a goal to have a Mars orbiter, but stressed it was important for the success of the mission to have sufficient international support.
“They’ve set themselves a six or seven-year timeline, which is very ambitious,” he said.
“It’s certainly doable, but it’s not doable alone, because they don’t have time to make mistakes. They need to learn from other people’s mistakes, so they’re going to need a lot of international cooperation.”
However, he highlighted how the satellite programmes run by YahSat in Abu Dhabi and the Emirates Institute for Advanced Science and Technology in Dubai, had, through skills transfer with international partners, fostered an already considerable pool of national talent.
“The people putting the agency together are smart and forward thinking,” he said. “Every single thing we do cooperatively, they will learn nationally. It becomes a catalyst to learn new expertise, so that five years from now, when this probe is finished, they can put a UAE rover on the moon and do it nationally.”
He added that by setting a target that was only just within reach, the agency would push itself, and thus develop talent for later projects.
“It’s not like the sole purpose of the UAE space agency is going to be to send one probe to Mars,” said Mr Hadfield. “That’s just the initial step, that’s going to help unify everything and create the structure, build allegiances and start building the national capability, so that later you can accomplish more, and more at a national level.”
The space agency would likely foster development into new patentable technology, he said, which would help develop a healthy mixed economy.
It would also inspire a new generation of scientists and engineers, he said.
“If you’re a kid growing up in the Emirates and you dream about being an astronaut, the opportunity will probably soon exist, nationally,” he said.
“If you’re in any of the surrounding states, you say ‘I love being Omani, or Saudi, but I’d really like to design rocket ships’. Well, where are they going to go? A programme here will bring people in and inspire people.
“It’s ambitious. It’s going to take a lot of work, but I think it will really pay off.”
mcroucher@thenational.ae
Company profile
Company: Rent Your Wardrobe
Date started: May 2021
Founder: Mamta Arora
Based: Dubai
Sector: Clothes rental subscription
Stage: Bootstrapped, self-funded
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 (PA) | US$95,000 | (Dirt) 2,000m
7.05pm: Meydan Classic Listed (TB) ) | $175,000) | (Turf) 1,600m
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) ) | $135,000 ) | (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy Group 3 (TB) ) | $300,000) | (T) 2,810m
8.50pm: Curlin Handicap Listed (TB)) | $160,000) | (D) 2,000m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB)) | $175,000) | (T) 1,400m
10pm: Handicap (TB) ) | $135,000 ) | (T) 2,000m
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
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The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre V6
Power: 295hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 355Nm at 5,200rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
Price: Dh179,999-plus
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What is double taxation?
- Americans living abroad file taxes with the Internal Revenue Service, which can cost hundreds of dollars to complete even though about 60 per cent do not owe taxes, according to the Taxpayer Advocate Service
- Those obligations apply to millions of Americans residing overseas – estimates range from 3.9 million to 5.5 million – including so-called "accidental Americans" who are unaware they hold dual citizenship
- The double taxation policy has been a contentious issue for decades, with many overseas Americans feeling that it punishes them for pursuing opportunities abroad
- Unlike most countries, the US follows a citizenship-based taxation system, meaning that Americans must file taxes annually, even if they do not earn any income in the US.
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Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
