• Left to right: American Community School of Abu Dhabi pupils Jeremiah Mathew, Hazel Whitaker and Ryan Ayoub, with their Viper I high-powered rocket that flew from a Texas desert. Victor Besa / The National
    Left to right: American Community School of Abu Dhabi pupils Jeremiah Mathew, Hazel Whitaker and Ryan Ayoub, with their Viper I high-powered rocket that flew from a Texas desert. Victor Besa / The National
  • The model rocket flew almost as high as 1,524 meters from the White Sands Missile Range on May 11. Photo: Monique Flickinger
    The model rocket flew almost as high as 1,524 meters from the White Sands Missile Range on May 11. Photo: Monique Flickinger
  • The rocket flew from the White Sands Missile Range in Houston, Texas. Photo: Monique Flickinger
    The rocket flew from the White Sands Missile Range in Houston, Texas. Photo: Monique Flickinger
  • Superintendent Monique Flickinger (third from left) and teachers Erik White (right) and Adam Cross (left) with American Community School of Abu Dhabi pupils. Victor Besa / The National
    Superintendent Monique Flickinger (third from left) and teachers Erik White (right) and Adam Cross (left) with American Community School of Abu Dhabi pupils. Victor Besa / The National
  • American Community School of Abu Dhabi pupils with their model rocket. Victor Besa / The National
    American Community School of Abu Dhabi pupils with their model rocket. Victor Besa / The National

Abu Dhabi pupils launch high-powered rocket in Texas desert


Sarwat Nasir
  • English
  • Arabic

A group of pupils from Abu Dhabi have launched a high-powered rocket in the Texas desert as part of an educational initiative by their school.

The bright youngsters at American Community School of Abu Dhabi spent a year learning about and developing a model rocket that can be launched using a motor and compressed air, while carrying a 0.4kg payload.

The achievement was possible because the school enrolled in SystemsGo, an American programme that teaches Stem – science, tech, engineering and maths – and helps pupils build skills that could propel them into engineering careers.

Ryan Ayoub, a year 10 pupil, said that his group’s rocket, called Viper I, flew as high as 1,524 metres from the White Sands Missile Range on May 11.

It came close to reaching the altitude goal of 1,609 metres (1 mile) set for the programme.

“I would’ve described my stay in Texas as not being able to stay awake while also having issues going to sleep because of all that was going on in a short amount of time,” he said.

“All my woes were gone when I saw that green rocket fly. It was unbelievable for me. It sparked a sort of childlike joy in me which is always great.”

Pupils from different schools across the US also flew rockets from the range.

Last year, a rocket built by pupils at the Brazoswood High School in Texas flew 13,716 metres, setting a new world record for altitude achieved by a high school pupil-designed and built hybrid-motor propelled rocket.

Jeremiah Mathew, a year 10 pupil at the Abu Dhabi school, oversaw Viper I’s recovery systems and electronics.

He said even though the rocket’s parachute did not deploy due to a technical problem, it was still a “great learning experience”.

He also designed and wrote the code for the altimeter, a navigation instrument on the rocket, helping him hone his skills in computer science, electronics and circuitry.

“My highlight of this year-long journey would definitely be seeing our rocket lift off from the launch pad in Texas, which gave me an overwhelming sense of relief, joy and awe,” said Jeremiah, who watched the launch remotely from Abu Dhabi.

“Being a part of the ACS Rocket Club this year presented me with the perfect opportunity to partake in activities that not only aligned with my future academic pursuits but also resonated deeply with my genuine passions and interests.”

In 2021, three Emirati students from Abu Dhabi's Khalifa University launched high-powered rockets from the Mojave Desert in California, with some reaching 1,500 metres.

Students involved in the programme are required to spend their weekends camping in the desert, where they test and launch their rockets.

The successful project was part of a Stem programme by Decenture, an education technology company that has its headquarters in the US.

Stellar ambitions

More than 150 Emirati young people have been involved in various programmes linked to the company.

An increasing number of schools and companies in the UAE are becoming involved with space-related programmes, as the global space sector grows exponentially.

In the UAE, the sector is also thriving, with more projects being undertaken by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre and the UAE Space Agency – both government-owned organisations.

But the Emirates is also seeing a rise of space starts-ups, with the country now aiming to set up a space industry that will contribute to the national economy.

Monique Flickinger, superintendent of the American Community School of Abu Dhabi, said that they are teaching stem-focused subjects so their pupils can be prepared for the future.

“We want to provide our students with the ability to have choices,” she said.

“And to have background knowledge and experience because several corporations are actually offering full-ride scholarships, where students can work for their corporation after they finish their degree in either engineering, mathematics or aerospace.

“And I think it's exciting that the UAE has placed so much importance on this because it really is the next frontier.”

RESULTS

Catchweight 82kg
Piotr Kuberski (POL) beat Ahmed Saeb (IRQ) by decision.

Women’s bantamweight
Corinne Laframboise (CAN) beat Cornelia Holm (SWE) by unanimous decision.

Welterweight
Omar Hussein (PAL) beat Vitalii Stoian (UKR) by unanimous decision.

Welterweight
Josh Togo (LEB) beat Ali Dyusenov (UZB) by unanimous decision.

Flyweight
Isaac Pimentel (BRA) beat Delfin Nawen (PHI) TKO round-3.

Catchweight 80kg​​​​​​​
Seb Eubank (GBR) beat Emad Hanbali (SYR) KO round 1.

Lightweight
Mohammad Yahya (UAE) beat Ramadan Noaman (EGY) TKO round 2.

Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) beat Reydon Romero (PHI) submission 1.

Welterweight
Juho Valamaa (FIN) beat Ahmed Labban (LEB) by unanimous decision.

Featherweight
Elias Boudegzdame (ALG) beat Austin Arnett (USA) by unanimous decision.

Super heavyweight
Maciej Sosnowski (POL) beat Ibrahim El Sawi (EGY) by submission round 1.

Western Region Asia Cup T20 Qualifier

Sun Feb 23 – Thu Feb 27, Al Amerat, Oman

The two finalists advance to the Asia qualifier in Malaysia in August

 

Group A

Bahrain, Maldives, Oman, Qatar

Group B

UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia

 

UAE group fixtures

Sunday Feb 23, 9.30am, v Iran

Monday Feb 25, 1pm, v Kuwait

Tuesday Feb 26, 9.30am, v Saudi

 

UAE squad

Ahmed Raza, Rohan Mustafa, Alishan Sharafu, Ansh Tandon, Vriitya Aravind, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Karthik Meiyappan, Basil Hameed, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Ayaz, Zahoor Khan, Chirag Suri, Sultan Ahmed

Contracted list

Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine, Matt Renshaw, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye.

Crazy Rich Asians

Director: Jon M Chu

Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeon, Gemma Chan

Four stars

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher:  Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5

Mountain%20Boy
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Super Bowl LIII schedule

What Super Bowl LIII

Who is playing New England Patriots v Los Angeles Rams

Where Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, United States

When Sunday (start time is 3.30am on Monday UAE time)

 

The five new places of worship

Church of South Indian Parish

St Andrew's Church Mussaffah branch

St Andrew's Church Al Ain branch

St John's Baptist Church, Ruwais

Church of the Virgin Mary and St Paul the Apostle, Ruwais

 

Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
  1. Join parent networks
  2. Look beyond school fees
  3. Keep an open mind
MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League quarter-final (first-leg score):

Juventus (1) v Ajax (1), Tuesday, 11pm UAE

Match will be shown on BeIN Sports

Also on December 7 to 9, the third edition of the Gulf Car Festival (www.gulfcarfestival.com) will take over Dubai Festival City Mall, a new venue for the event. Last year's festival brought together about 900 cars worth more than Dh300 million from across the Emirates and wider Gulf region – and that first figure is set to swell by several hundred this time around, with between 1,000 and 1,200 cars expected. The first day is themed around American muscle; the second centres on supercars, exotics, European cars and classics; and the final day will major in JDM (Japanese domestic market) cars, tuned vehicles and trucks. Individuals and car clubs can register their vehicles, although the festival isn’t all static displays, with stunt drifting, a rev battle, car pulls and a burnout competition.

As it stands in Pool A

1. Japan - Played 3, Won 3, Points 14

2. Ireland - Played 3, Won 2, Lost 1, Points 11

3. Scotland - Played 2, Won 1, Lost 1, Points 5

Remaining fixtures

Scotland v Russia – Wednesday, 11.15am

Ireland v Samoa – Saturday, 2.45pm

Japan v Scotland – Sunday, 2.45pm

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

'Champions'

Director: Manuel Calvo
Stars: Yassir Al Saggaf and Fatima Al Banawi
Rating: 2/5
 

Gertrude Bell's life in focus

A feature film

At one point, two feature films were in the works, but only German director Werner Herzog’s project starring Nicole Kidman would be made. While there were high hopes he would do a worthy job of directing the biopic, when Queen of the Desert arrived in 2015 it was a disappointment. Critics panned the film, in which Herzog largely glossed over Bell’s political work in favour of her ill-fated romances.

A documentary

A project that did do justice to Bell arrived the next year: Sabine Krayenbuhl and Zeva Oelbaum’s Letters from Baghdad: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Gertrude Bell. Drawing on more than 1,000 pieces of archival footage, 1,700 documents and 1,600 letters, the filmmakers painstakingly pieced together a compelling narrative that managed to convey both the depth of Bell’s experience and her tortured love life.

Books, letters and archives

Two biographies have been written about Bell, and both are worth reading: Georgina Howell’s 2006 book Queen of the Desert and Janet Wallach’s 1996 effort Desert Queen. Bell published several books documenting her travels and there are also several volumes of her letters, although they are hard to find in print. Original documents are housed at the Gertrude Bell Archive at the University of Newcastle, which has an online catalogue.
 

The%20Roundup
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Company%20profile
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Summer special
Hidden killer

Sepsis arises when the body tries to fight an infection but damages its own tissue and organs in the process.

The World Health Organisation estimates it affects about 30 million people each year and that about six million die.

Of those about three million are newborns and 1.2 are young children.

Patients with septic shock must often have limbs amputated if clots in their limbs prevent blood flow, causing the limbs to die.

Campaigners say the condition is often diagnosed far too late by medical professionals and that many patients wait too long to seek treatment, confusing the symptoms with flu. 

If you go

The flights

The closest international airport for those travelling from the UAE is Denver, Colorado. British Airways (www.ba.com) flies from the UAE via London from Dh3,700 return, including taxes. From there, transfers can be arranged to the ranch or it’s a seven-hour drive. Alternatively, take an internal flight to the counties of Cody, Casper, or Billings

The stay

Red Reflet offers a series of packages, with prices varying depending on season. All meals and activities are included, with prices starting from US$2,218 (Dh7,150) per person for a minimum stay of three nights, including taxes. For more information, visit red-reflet-ranch.net.

 

Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

While you're here
The specs: 2017 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn

Price, base / as tested: Dhxxx
Engine: 5.7L V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 395hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 556Nm @ 3,950rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20NOTHING%20PHONE%20(2)
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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.

Stormy seas

Weather warnings show that Storm Eunice is soon to make landfall. The videographer and I are scrambling to return to the other side of the Channel before it does. As we race to the port of Calais, I see miles of wire fencing topped with barbed wire all around it, a silent ‘Keep Out’ sign for those who, unlike us, aren’t lucky enough to have the right to move freely and safely across borders.

We set sail on a giant ferry whose length dwarfs the dinghies migrants use by nearly a 100 times. Despite the windy rain lashing at the portholes, we arrive safely in Dover; grateful but acutely aware of the miserable conditions the people we’ve left behind are in and of the privilege of choice. 

THE SPECS

      

 

Engine: 1.5-litre

 

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

 

Power: 110 horsepower 

 

Torque: 147Nm 

 

Price: From Dh59,700 

 

On sale: now  

 
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THE SPECS

Engine: 1.6-litre turbo

Transmission: six-speed automatic

Power: 165hp

Torque: 240Nm

Price: From Dh89,000 (Enjoy), Dh99,900 (Innovation)

On sale: Now

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Updated: May 17, 2023, 1:24 PM