July 13, 2021
TODAY! Embassy Row Live!
United Arab Emirates: The New Space Race
Today, July 13 at 12:00 PM ET
The United Arab Emirates recently joined the small group of nations that have successfully launched a spacecraft to Mars, further proving space is the new domain for international cooperation—or competition.

Join WAC Connecticut and WACA as we speak with the woman who led the UAE's successful mission to Mars, and one of the world's rising stars in space and technology: H.E. Sarah bint Yousef Al Amiri. She is the nation's first-ever Minister of State for Advanced Technology and Chairwoman of the UAE Space Agency.

H.E. Minister Al Amiri will address the yet-to-be answered questions in the emerging space domain—from opportunities for technological innovation and global peacebuilding, to what it means for national security—and beyond.
ABOUT H.E. SARAH BINT YOUSEF AL AMIRI:

In her role as Minister of State for Advanced Technology, her excellency spearheads the UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology’s efforts to empower the adoption of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies and promote research and development in the advanced science and technology sector, in order to create new industries that drive the shift towards a knowledge economy. This, in turn, contributes to the overall mandate of the Ministry to strengthen the UAE’s industrial base, ensure in-country value, and raise the competitiveness of local industries.

As Chairwoman of the Space Agency, Her Excellency is responsible to oversee the Agency’s mandate of guiding the space sector, ensuring its contribution to the national economy and to the UAE’s sustainable development.

Her Excellency is also the Chairwoman of the Emirates Scientists Council, Chairwoman of the Fourth Industrial Revolution Council, and previously Science Lead of the Emirates Mars Mission (Hope) at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC).

Previously, Her Excellency was the Head of R&D at MBRSC, where she established the Centre’s knowledge management, strategic research and product assurance functionalities. She was also involved in DubaiSat-1 and DubaiSat-2, and in the establishment of the KhalifaSat program. In 2014, Her Excellency was tasked with and led the establishment of the Advanced Aerial Systems Program, where she championed development efforts on a prototype High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite. The project resulted in a successful 24-hour flight of the unmanned vehicle, which recorded the highest altitude of any aircraft over UAE airspace.