The UAE National Space Programme has been launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and His Highness Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
The UAE's space programme will include travelling to Mars in 2021 and building a human settlement on the Red Planet in 2117. The Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) is set to launch the Hope spacecraft in July 2020 on a seven-month journey. The UAE spacecraft should enter into the Red Planet's orbit early 2021 to study the planet's atmosphere in detail. The mission will mark the first time for any Arab country to send a spacecraft to Mars.