The words “Arabs To Mars” line the streets of Dubai as the Hope Probe gets closer to orbit.

The Emirates Hope Mission is 50 years in the making, but the point of the mission was never to reach space. The purpose of the mission, also known as Hope Probe, was to inspire Arab youth and to send a message of hope.

When the world thinks of The Middle East, they probably think of desert, extreme wealth, and most recently, (unfortunately) influencers partying.

The Hope Probe Mission should give the WORLD a different perspective of the Arab world

The Hope Probe took off from a remote space station in Japan in July. This happened during a pandemic when the world was facing one of the toughest challenges of our time. The fact that the spacecraft even took off, in itself is an achievement.

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This is the first Arab interplanetary mission. The probe will study climatic changes on Mars to help us better understand it and the information will be distributed for free to 200 countries around the world.

2 hours to go. Stay tuned to witness the moment that speaks for the culmination of 7 continuous years of hard work.#ArabsToMars #HopeProbe pic.twitter.com/2p80VRH0XV

— Hope Mars Mission (@HopeMarsMission) February 9, 2021

The media loves a bad news story. They love bashing Dubai. Let’s hope this refocuses the messages of what the Arab world is really about

This week, I had a catch-up Zoom call with some of my friends, who are based in England, Ireland, Canada and Malaysia. They had ALL heard about recent stories about influencers partying in Dubai. But had no clue about how well the UAE was managing COVID and of the umteen precautions laid out by authorities for our safety. They had no clue that we’re number ONE in the world for vaccinations per 100 people and that we’ll complete vaccination for all-eligible adults by year-end.

That’s the big news. A couple of people disobeying rules which makes the headlines… that’s fodder for tabloids, but our vaccination programme and our space programme, that’s the real headline spinner.

Today, once again the UAE makes history.

Let the Mars Mission send a message to international press

50 years after the creation of the UAE, 7 years in the making, a 7-month journey. This means the UAE went from merely a desert made up of Bedouin tribes, to reaching space, in five decades. A phenomenal mission.

Let the Mars Mission be an inspiration for kids growing up in the Arab world. Let’s praise the 200 Arabs who helped build the spacecraft like heroes and the many scientists who worked around the clock to make this happen.

The UAE is MORE than a party zone for influencers. It’s MORE than beaches and restaurants and culture and education and tech and media and home for over 200 nationalities. Let this mission prove that the UAE does not see the sky as the limit. We look beyond.