Why venture where no man has gone before... survival

 "...the UAE (United Arab Emirate) has a long way to go. Just a handful of its 100 or so higher-education institutions do research, and Al Amiri estimates that there are perhaps only a few hundred full-time academic researchers."

 

 

"When the United Arab Emirates’ Mars mission takes off, it will be a victory for the entire country, but particularly for women, who make up 34% of the mission team and 80% of the science team. Women’s representation in the Emirati workforce overall is lower, at 28%, but this is changing despite traditional gender and family roles." 

 

 

 "Sharaf and Al Amiri on the grounds of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre. Credit: Natalie Naccache for Nature."

 

Encouraging the population that is rich in oil, a depleting resource, to learn new skills that will allow a country to sustain itself is the real reason behind the march into space. 

"But for Emiratis, space-science goals come second. Faced with economic and environmental challenges, the small, oil-rich Gulf state hopes the Mars project can accelerate its transformation into a knowledge economy — by encouraging research, degree programs in basic sciences and inspiring the youth across the Arab states."

 

Elizabeth Gibney 08 July 2020 for nature.com