In 2026, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is enhancing its role in the global space industry through various initiatives aimed at knowledge advancement and economic growth.

The UAE will join the global community on April 12 to celebrate the International Day of Human Space Flight, coinciding with the launch of the National Space Strategy 2031, which aims to increase the sector's economic contribution.

This strategy is centered around three main objectives: creating a resilient and investment-friendly space ecosystem, enhancing global partnerships and market access, and developing competitive infrastructure and facilities.

Key goals include doubling the revenues from the space economy, positioning the UAE among the top 10 space economies worldwide by 2031, increasing the sector's economic output, and expanding the number of national companies, export markets, and investments in space-related fields.

This announcement follows significant progress under the previous strategy, which led to the development of advanced local capabilities in space technology, the launch of scientific missions, and strengthened international collaborations. The UAE has successfully developed 30 satellites, with over 170 entities now engaged in the space economy.

Earlier this year, the UAE extended the Mars Probe mission until 2028 due to its operational success and ongoing data collection regarding Mars' atmosphere and climate.

Since its inception, the mission has generated over 10 terabytes of scientific data and has published around 16 datasets for researchers and the global scientific community, along with more than 35 peer-reviewed studies.

In January, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre released new high-resolution images captured by the “MBZ-SAT” satellite, commemorating one year since its launch.

In March, a decree was issued to establish the Sharjah Space and Astronomy Complex, coinciding with the launch of the CubeSat “Sharjah Sat-2,” which aims to provide high-resolution spectral data to support research and strategic planning.

On the research front, an international team led by New York University Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with Jilin University in China, has discovered a new type of organic crystal capable of self-repair at extremely low temperatures. This discovery could lead to the next generation of durable, lightweight materials suitable for some of the harshest environments on Earth and in space.

Additionally, the National Space Academy has launched the inaugural edition of the "Arab Youth Space Hackathon," creating a platform for young talents to develop applications in Earth observation and hyperspectral data.

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