Inayat-ur-Rahman

Today, a brave Emirati son, astronaut Hazza Al Mansoori, will embark on a mission to the International Space Station, marking the country’s burgeoning space sector goals and objectives.

The whole nation is proud and jubilant as the country is marching ahead to add one more jewel to its crown. The decision by the UAE Government to enter the space age reflects the visionary leadership of the country.

Emirati prime astronaut Hazzaa Al Mansoori will represent the UAE in space as the 19th visiting country to the ISS and its 240th visitor. This momentous event will make him the first Emirati in space and the first Arab on the giant floating laboratory.

Bilal Amanullah Moti MRICS, Managing Director, Windmills Group told Gulf Today that after topping the global charts in the oil and gas, aviation, global trade, hospitality, tourism, education, healthcare, financial services, and real estate industries, today the UAE is embarking on the International Space Mission for the very first time, which is another clear representation of a highly developed country.

“The two young Emirati astronauts will travel to space during the said period,” he added.

“Today (September 25, 2019) and October 3, 2019 will be the most memorable days in the history of UAE for its development mission in the space, nature, research and science arenas.”

“In Dutch language we say “Who do not have passion, do not dare.” UAE dares, and that is what makes this country the country of excellence.

“I congratulate Hazza Al Mansoori,  Sultan Al Neyadi, Space Mission Team, the general public, and the leadership of the country for embarking on this distinguished learning and development adventure in the space, and wish them success with flying colours.

“May Allah make the journey of our Emirati astronauts safe, healthy and easy. (Ameen).”

“The trip will surely bring UAE in the space excellence league of 20 countries. This is an event of pride not only for the Emirati citizens and the Arab world but also for the expatriates residing in UAE,” Moti concluded.

Dr Reza Khan, Principal Wildlife Specialist, Dubai Safari told this reporter that countries who will not invest in science, technology and innovation, will lag behind in progress in future. The UAE’s space mission – the first by an Arab and Gulf country – reflects the progressive thinking of the UAE’s visionary leadership and their determination to acquire scientific knowledge and knowhow,  and use these as and when needed. This is a small step towards a bigger mission – to place the UAE ahead of many others in science, technology and innovation.

“I believe, this will be followed by a number of other missions including one towards Mars. These are exciting times for the UAE and we see the country moving ahead towards its Vision 2071.”

“As decades-old expatriate residents of the UAE, we are proud to see the country making huge strides in achieving millennial scientific goals ahead of many other countries. We wish every success of the current and all future space missions. Our best wishes to the astronauts and their research,” Khan concluded.

Atif Rahman, Director and Partner, Danube Properties: “The future of mankind will be driven by innovation. The UAE’s decision to put astronauts in space and Mars a few years ago was a dream, which is becoming a reality,” he added.

“This game-changing decision is re-positioning the UAE at the forefront of science, technology and space technology as well as innovation. These are exciting times and we are all proud to be part of this country’s progress and growth.”

“The decision by the UAE Government to enter the space age reflects the visionary leadership of the UAE. This is what we could call a new journey of the UAE. The sky is no longer the limit. The UAE has pushed the boundary of the limit to a different scale.”

“Our best wishes to the astronauts and their research.”

CA Mahmood Bangara, Chairman, ICAI Dubai chapter mentioned that this was a very proud moment for the country indeed. “I feel a sense of immense pride as this mission will open the doors of many more such opportunities for UAE to shine and continue to push the boundaries of greatness.

“This milestone is a salute to prudent leadership and Hazzaa is a great inspiration to young Emiratis, here’s wishing him all the very best for a successful mission,” Bangara concluded.

Gautham Raj, CEO of Emitac Enterprise Solutions, says it’s a defining moment in the history of the nation and definitely a proud moment for all Emiratis. This milestone will go down in the golden pages of UAE’s achievements. I am extremely proud of everyone who is working hard on this mission and I wish Hazzaa the best of luck for this mission and a thumbs up to the visionary leadership who have made this a reality.”