• Mohammed Al Otaiba, Editor-in-Chief of The National, at the launch of The National Space Programme in Abu Dhabi. Silvia Razgova for The National
    Mohammed Al Otaiba, Editor-in-Chief of The National, at the launch of The National Space Programme in Abu Dhabi. Silvia Razgova for The National
  • Mohammed Al Otaiba, Editor-in-Chief of The National, with the newspaper’s partners in The National Space Programme, which was launched on Tuesday. Silvia Razgova for The National
    Mohammed Al Otaiba, Editor-in-Chief of The National, with the newspaper’s partners in The National Space Programme, which was launched on Tuesday. Silvia Razgova for The National
  • The first competition, Genes in Space, challenges high-school students from grades seven to 12 to design a DNA amplification experiment using the ‘polymerase chain reaction process’ to be conducted in the microgravity environment on-board the ISS. Photo by Nasa / AFP Photo
    The first competition, Genes in Space, challenges high-school students from grades seven to 12 to design a DNA amplification experiment using the ‘polymerase chain reaction process’ to be conducted in the microgravity environment on-board the ISS. Photo by Nasa / AFP Photo
  • Mohammed Al Otaiba, Editor-in-Chief of The National, at the launch of The National Space Programme in Abu Dhabi. Silvia Razgova for The National
    Mohammed Al Otaiba, Editor-in-Chief of The National, at the launch of The National Space Programme in Abu Dhabi. Silvia Razgova for The National
  • Dr Mohammed Al Ahbabi, Director General of the UAE Space Agency at the launch of The National Space Programme in Abu Dhabi. Silvia Razgova for The National
    Dr Mohammed Al Ahbabi, Director General of the UAE Space Agency at the launch of The National Space Programme in Abu Dhabi. Silvia Razgova for The National
  • Guests attend a press conference announcing The National Space Programme on Tuesday at the InterContinental Hotel in Abu Dhabi. Silvia Razgova for The National
    Guests attend a press conference announcing The National Space Programme on Tuesday at the InterContinental Hotel in Abu Dhabi. Silvia Razgova for The National
  • Peter McGrath, Director, Global Sales and Marketing, Space Exploration, Boeing, at the launch of The National Space Programme in Abu Dhabi. Silvia Razgova for The National
    Peter McGrath, Director, Global Sales and Marketing, Space Exploration, Boeing, at the launch of The National Space Programme in Abu Dhabi. Silvia Razgova for The National
  • High school and university students from across the UAE now have the chance to directly shape the future of space exploration. Silvia Razgova for The National
    High school and university students from across the UAE now have the chance to directly shape the future of space exploration. Silvia Razgova for The National
  • Professor Tim McGloughlin, Chair Biomedical Engineering, Khalifa University, poses with a space helmet. Silvia Razgova for The National
    Professor Tim McGloughlin, Chair Biomedical Engineering, Khalifa University, poses with a space helmet. Silvia Razgova for The National
  • Guests attend a press conference announcing The National Space Programme on Tuesday at the InterContinental Hotel in Abu Dhabi. Silvia Razgova for The National
    Guests attend a press conference announcing The National Space Programme on Tuesday at the InterContinental Hotel in Abu Dhabi. Silvia Razgova for The National
  • Mohammed Al Otaiba, Editor-in-Chief of The National, with Dr Mohammed Al Ahbabi, Director General of the UAE Space Agency, second right, and Peter McGrath, Director, Global Sales and Marketing, Space Exploration, Boeing, right, at the press conference. Silvia Razgova for The National
    Mohammed Al Otaiba, Editor-in-Chief of The National, with Dr Mohammed Al Ahbabi, Director General of the UAE Space Agency, second right, and Peter McGrath, Director, Global Sales and Marketing, Space Exploration, Boeing, right, at the press conference. Silvia Razgova for The National
  • Guests attend a press conference announcing The National Space Programme on Tuesday at the InterContinental Hotel in Abu Dhabi. Silvia Razgova for The National
    Guests attend a press conference announcing The National Space Programme on Tuesday at the InterContinental Hotel in Abu Dhabi. Silvia Razgova for The National
  • High school and university students from across the UAE now have the chance to directly shape the future of space exploration. Silvia Razgova for The National
    High school and university students from across the UAE now have the chance to directly shape the future of space exploration. Silvia Razgova for The National
  • Mohammed Al Otaiba, Editor-in-Chief of The National, with guests. Silvia Razgova for The National
    Mohammed Al Otaiba, Editor-in-Chief of The National, with guests. Silvia Razgova for The National
  • Guests attend a press conference announcing The National Space Programme on Tuesday at the InterContinental Hotel in Abu Dhabi. Silvia Razgova for The National
    Guests attend a press conference announcing The National Space Programme on Tuesday at the InterContinental Hotel in Abu Dhabi. Silvia Razgova for The National
  • Dr Mohammed Al Ahbabi, Director General of the UAE Space Agency at the launch of The National Space Programme in Abu Dhabi. Silvia Razgova for The National
    Dr Mohammed Al Ahbabi, Director General of the UAE Space Agency at the launch of The National Space Programme in Abu Dhabi. Silvia Razgova for The National
  • Guests attend a press conference announcing The National Space Programme on Tuesday at the InterContinental Hotel in Abu Dhabi. Silvia Razgova for The National
    Guests attend a press conference announcing The National Space Programme on Tuesday at the InterContinental Hotel in Abu Dhabi. Silvia Razgova for The National
  • In the initial stages of the programme, The National, Abu Dhabi Media’s English-language newspaper, has linked up during Innovation Week with the UAE Space Agency, Boeing and other public and private organisations. Silvia Razgova for The National
    In the initial stages of the programme, The National, Abu Dhabi Media’s English-language newspaper, has linked up during Innovation Week with the UAE Space Agency, Boeing and other public and private organisations. Silvia Razgova for The National
  • Mohammed Al Otaiba, Editor-in-Chief of The National, at the launch of The National Space Programme in Abu Dhabi. Philip Cheung for The National
    Mohammed Al Otaiba, Editor-in-Chief of The National, at the launch of The National Space Programme in Abu Dhabi. Philip Cheung for The National
  • Mohammed Al Otaiba, Editor-in-Chief of The National, with Dr Mohammed Al Ahbabi, Director General of the UAE Space Agency and Peter McGrath, Director, Global Sales and Marketing, Space Exploration, Boeing, at the press conference. Philip Cheung for The National
    Mohammed Al Otaiba, Editor-in-Chief of The National, with Dr Mohammed Al Ahbabi, Director General of the UAE Space Agency and Peter McGrath, Director, Global Sales and Marketing, Space Exploration, Boeing, at the press conference. Philip Cheung for The National

UAE

Lift off for The National Space Programme

Thamer Al Subaihi

November 25, 2015

  • English
  • Arabic

ABU DHABI // High school and university students from across the UAE have the chance to directly shape the future of space exploration.

Two competitions giving them the opportunity to watch their experiments blast off on a rocket to the International Space Station were announced on Tuesday at the launch of The National Space Programme in Abu Dhabi.

In the initial stages of the programme, The National, Abu Dhabi Media's English-language newspaper, has linked up during Innovation Week with the UAE Space Agency, Boeing and other public and private organisations.

The National Space Programme contests are Genes in Space, challenging high school pupils to create a DNA analysis experiment, and the Satellite Launch project, in which a university team will build a satellite.

Winners of both competitions will be flown to the US to watch their projects being launched into space.

Submissions are being accepted for Genes in Space, open to high school pupils who will design a DNA amplification experiment using the polymerase chain reaction process in the microgravity environment of the International Space Station.

The process allows researchers to produce millions of copies of a specific DNA sequence.

But students, who can work alone or in teams of up to four, do not need high-tech equipment or fancy laboratories.

They only have to design an experiment that will solve real-life space exploration problems through DNA analysis, describe it in tweetable form of 140 characters or less, and answer four questions about the experiment.

The deadline for submissions at genesinspace.org is February 3 next year.

The five finalists will be announced at the Global Aerospace Summit on March 7 and 8 in Abu Dhabi, and will be mentored by local scientists and specialists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard as they develop their experiments.

The winner will be chosen by an expert panel of scientists, innovators and educators in May and will be invited to watch their experiments leaving Earth’s atmosphere by rocket. Their experiment will be conducted by astronauts on the International Space Station.

Mohammed Al Otaiba, Editor-in-Chief of The National, said: "Media is a key driver of innovation and The National is always keen to support initiatives that raise awareness on important areas, such as education and development.

“We’re excited to be a part of a collaboration that brings partners from different disciplines, that invites diversity and that is inclusive. The efforts of each come together for a larger purpose.

“Through this partnership, I hope we inspire young leaders to join the UAE’s fledgling space industry and inspire them to look into Stem fields as career paths options.”

Mr Al Otaiba said collaboration with industry leaders was aligned with The National's mission to prepare the country's innovators.

Representing one of the project’s key partners was Dr Mohammed Al Ahbabi, Director General of the UAE Space Agency.

"Inspiring and educating the next generation of leaders is at the core of what we do," said Dr Al Ahbabi. "It is critical that we give our future scientists, engineers and mathematicians engaging opportunities for growth, and we're thrilled to be partnering with The National to support The National Space Programme and challenge our students to think bigger than ever before."

HE Mohamed Ebraheem Al Mahmood, Chairman and Managing Director of Abu Dhabi Media, said “innovation is considered as one of the strategic axes in Abu Dhabi Media’s methodology, which is consistent with the national strategy for innovation.

“It is the main motivation that drives us to mobilise efforts in view of providing innovative solutions that contribute to the development and improvement of our media work, to reach all social categories.”

Mr Al Mahmood said Abu Dhabi Media had left its mark on a global level in the field of innovation by launching The National Space Programme in conjunction with the events of UAE Innovation Week.

He said that this programme would “contribute in supporting the journey of the UAE towards a knowledge-based society and supplement various sectors with the promising energy of a youth that will be responsible for building on current achievements, and for turning plans and innovative projects into reality, to the benefit of the UAE”.

The other major contributor, Boeing, launched the first Genes in Space competition in the US this year.

With an experiment that investigates why astronauts returning to Earth have compromised immune systems, a high school senior from Bedford, New York, won the inaugural contest.

She will get to see her experiment leave Earth’s atmosphere towards the International Space Station some time next year.

Having launched the first competition, Boeing will once again play a key role in the UAE’s first Genes in Space competition.

“We’re proud to work with the UAE Space Agency to bring the Genes in Space competition to the UAE and the Middle East,” said Peter McGrath, director of global sales and marketing for Boeing Space Exploration.

“Starting with a partnership equally steeped in aerospace science and education, we are confident that the UAE is on track to be a world leader across Stem fields.”

tsubaihi@thenational.ae

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

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Moral education needed in a 'rapidly changing world'

Moral education lessons for young people is needed in a rapidly changing world, the head of the programme said.

Alanood Al Kaabi, head of programmes at the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Price Court - Abu Dhabi, said: "The Crown Price Court is fully behind this initiative and have already seen the curriculum succeed in empowering young people and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in building the future of the nation at all levels.

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  • Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
  • Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
  • Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
  • Submit their request
What are the regulations?
  • Fly it within visual line of sight
  • Never over populated areas
  • Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
  • Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
  • Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
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