UAE marks 54th Eid Al Etihad with women, space advances
- Last updated: December 3, 2025 | 13:07 ..
The UAE, under its wise leadership, is celebrating the 54th Eid Al Etihad with continued momentum towards a prosperous future, reinforced by a range of national and international milestones that have characterised 2025, the Year of Community, under its wise leadership.
The UAE bolstered its active presence internationally, strengthened its position as a leading economic power regionally and globally, and continued its prominent role in humanitarian initiatives.
The country launched six satellites: Thuraya 4, MBZ-SAT, AlainSat-1, HCT-SAT 1, the second phase of the Foresight satellite constellation, and Etihad-SAT. The UAE Space Agency also announced the completion of the final design phase of the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt (EMA).
Meanwhile, Space 42, in collaboration with ICEYE, a company specialising in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites, confirmed the successful launch into low Earth orbit of three new radar satellites within the Foresight constellation: Foresight-3, Foresight-4 and Foresight-5.
The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre announced in November the successful completion of the development of the Rashid 2 rover as part of the Emirates Lunar Mission.
The year 2025 saw numerous milestones highlighting the success of the UAE's policy of empowering and building the capabilities of Emirati women. The UAE ranked first regionally and 13th globally in the 2025 Gender Inequality Index published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Additionally, the World Economic Forum selected three Emirati women for membership in the Young Global Leaders (YGL) Council of 2025.
This year also witnessed the launch of the Mother of the Nation's 50:50 Vision, which includes key pillars such as family and national identity, governance and strategies, and international development partnerships.
The UAE continued its strong support for citizens' housing, launching a wide range of initiatives and projects that reinforced family stability. The Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme issued 2,971 housing approvals from January to the end of the third quarter of 2025, with a total value of Dhs2,069,200,000. The programme also introduced an initiative to secure financing for beneficiaries of housing loans, with a particular focus on senior citizens.
In Abu Dhabi, the emirate announced agreements to develop 13 new residential communities across the emirate of Abu Dhabi. The projects aim to provide more than 40,000 homes and residential plots for Emirati citizens, with a total cost of Dhs106 billion.
In Dubai, authorities announced the implementation of housing projects worth Dhs5.4 billion in several areas, along with the approval of a housing package exceeding Dhs2 billion, comprising more than 1,100 residential units.
In Sharjah, the Executive Council approved two batches of land grants for 3,500 eligible beneficiaries, including 1,750 residential land grants and 1,750 investment land grants.
WAM