The UAE has moved a step closer to enlisting its first female astronaut after 1,400 women signed up for the chance to be launched into space.
A senior space official hailed the high quality of the entrants and said the UAE would like to see a woman take up at least one of two coveted roles in the latest recruitment programme.
Applications have now closed, with 4,305 nationals vying to follow in the footsteps of Maj Hazza Al Mansouri, the first Emirati astronaut who flew into space on September 25, and Sultan Al Neyadi, the mission’s back-up astronaut.
There are about 250 more female entrants than in the last round of applications in 2018.
"Increasing that number is a great step forward," Salem Al Marri, head of the UAE Astronaut Programme, told The National.
“We would definitely like to see a woman get selected. That’s something we would actually encourage.
"What I’ve initially seen from the women that have applied, we’ve got some really good candidates. The quality that we have this time around is really high.
“At the same time, our objective is clear that we will select the best, brightest and most suitable.”
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said on Twitter that he was proud of the desire and passion in those who had applied to join the ranks of the country's growing space sector.
Mr Al Marri said adding women to the astronaut corps would help to add diversity to the programme.
But even if women astronauts were added to the corps, it is not guaranteed that they would go on the next UAE space flight.
The two new astronauts will join Maj Al Mansouri and Dr Al Neyadi in the country's growing space fleet.
Out of the four astronauts, only the one whose profile matches the objective of the mission would be selected to go.
Most of this year's applicants are engineers, pilots, medical professionals and experts in fields of science.
Forty-four per cent of the applicants are from Abu Dhabi, 23 per cent from Dubai, and the rest from the five other emirates, while 130 hold PhDs.
The next challenge for the team at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre is to whittle down the number of applicants to 300.
With the "stay at home" order in place because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the centre will carry out online assessments and interviews with the remaining candidates.
By mid-June, the team hopes to further narrow that number down 120, who will undergo medical, psychological and psychometric tests.
“Then about 80 will be shortlisted and we’ll set up for our first interview panel in September," Mr Al Marri said.
"This will be followed by 40 people, who will be part of our second interview round."
He hopes that face-to-face interviews will be possible by autumn if the Covid-19 risk has been reduced.
“If we are still in a situation where Covid-19 is affecting interviews, obviously that makes it a little more difficult for the assessors and candidates,” Mr Al Marri said.
“But what I’ve learnt by working from home in the past couple of months is that you can do a lot through technology these days and it would be quite interesting to do this remotely.”
The next two astronauts will be revealed in January, 2021.
Details of a new UAE space mission have not yet been announced.
The country used Russia's Soyuz rocket to launch Maj Al Mansouri to the International Space Station for his eight-day stay.
It is unclear whether the UAE has booked any Soyuz seats with Russia for its next mission.
However, Mr Al Marri said space centre is in discussions with “all of the players” who have the ability or the potential to launch.
“We are constantly interacting with them. We are looking at all of the options that we have,” he said.
A human spaceflight is set to be launched from the US on May 27, the first of its kind since the Space Shuttle programme was disbanded in 2011.
Two Nasa astronauts will fly on board Space X’s Crew Dragon spacecraft.
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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.
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ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
Day 3, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Just three balls remained in an exhausting day for Sri Lanka’s bowlers when they were afforded some belated cheer. Nuwan Pradeep, unrewarded in 15 overs to that point, let slip a seemingly innocuous delivery down the legside. Babar Azam feathered it behind, and Niroshan Dickwella dived to make a fine catch.
Stat of the day - 2.56 Shan Masood and Sami Aslam are the 16th opening partnership Pakistan have had in Tests in the past five years. That turnover at the top of the order – a new pair every 2.56 Test matches on average – is by far the fastest rate among the leading Test sides. Masood and Aslam put on 114 in their first alliance in Abu Dhabi.
The verdict Even by the normal standards of Test cricket in the UAE, this has been slow going. Pakistan’s run-rate of 2.38 per over is the lowest they have managed in a Test match in this country. With just 14 wickets having fallen in three days so far, it is difficult to see 26 dropping to bring about a result over the next two.
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Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
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UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
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Concrete and Gold
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
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What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
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