Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

UAE seeks 'new dawn' for Arab world with nuclear and space program

UAE seeks 'new dawn' for Arab world with nuclear and space program

The United Arab Emirates is transitioning from oil to a knowledge-based economy. By launching a space program and building a nuclear reactor, the country hopes to attain middle power status.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is forging ahead in the field of science and technology. In July of this year, it became the first Arab state to start a space program when it launched the Hope orbiter to Mars. And in August, the federal monarchy fired up its first nuclear power plant. The emir of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who serves as the UAE's vice president, praised it as the "Arab world's first peaceful nuclear power plant."

Highly symbolic projects


These technological feats reflect the UAE's new aspirations as a regional power, says Cinzia Bianco, an expert on the politics of the Arabian Peninsula at the European Council for Foreign Relations.

The country's space program and nuclear power plant are intended to signal that small states, too, can dream big and develop, says Bianco. "It wants to send a signal to Arab states and the global community," she says.

The space program and nuclear reactor carry huge symbolic significance for the UAE and are intended to link back to the impressive historical achievements of the Islamic world. This thinking is manifested in a report by the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR), which states that "[t]his new phase draws inspiration from the past, when Arabs were leaders in all fields of science, pioneering the early theories of space, physics and astronomy, when most other medieval societies were marred by stagnation."


Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who serves as the UAE's vice president, is concerned about a secure long-term energy supply


According to the ECSSR, this will ring in a new dawn for the Arab world, "in which limitless ambition and determination, coupled with cooperation and tolerance, will once more benefit humanity."

Energy security


But the UAE is not just seeking to lead a renaissance in the Arab world. Its nuclear power program is also born of a highly pragmatic consideration, namely to ensure a reliable energy source for the future, says Sara Bazoobandi of Washington's Arab Gulf States Institute.

For many years, the UAE has been readying for the time when fossil fuels run out, says Bazoobandi, who is currently working as an associate at the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA) in Hamburg. She says the country established the Mubadala Development Company in 2002 to invest worldwide in technologies of the future, including renewable energies. "The UAE's political leadership is well aware that transitioning from an oil-based to a knowledge-based economy is key," Bazoobandi says.


The nuclear power plant is intended to signal that small states, too, can dream big and develop, says Bianco


Masdar City, an artificial urban space created in the desert that is designed to largely rely on renewable energy, is another project underscoring the UAE's ambitions, she says. However although it was launched in 2006, the project is still nowhere near completion.

Joining the big players


These ambitious projects are designed to impress not only the Arab world, but the global community at large, says Cinzia Bianco. Only a handful of actors, including the US, Russia, China and the EU, can currently afford a costly Mars program. The UAE has essentially joined the big league as a junior player in the race to the red planet. "This is a highly ambitious undertaking; the UAE wants to show that despite being a small country, it is a significant one in terms of civilization," says Bianco. "It wants to portray itself as a new middle power."

However, the UAE wants to cooperate wherever possible. It plans to share all Mars research with any interested parties, according to the ECSSR. This knowledge will be made available and shared in the interest of all humanity in order to improve everyone's quality of life, the ECSSR says.


Preparations in Abu Dhabi for the recent launch to Mars

Fostering national identity


Becoming a regional power, however, requires national unity. The UAE's leadership has therefore launched a number of initiatives promoting awareness of the country's history and fostering national customs and traditions. Special historical museums, as well as festivals and national day parades, have been established for this purpose, according to the the US think tank Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

In an assessment published in February 2019, the think tank found that the above-mentioned measures were aimed at boosting national unity in view of the fact that "[t]he traditional social pact no longer seems able to ensure loyalty and cohesion." It added that the UAE's growing military expenditures were further bolstering "patriotic feelings."

Soft power over military might


However, the small UAE, with its population of just 10 million, has limited foreign policy clout on the international stage, especially seeing as foreign nationals with work permits far outnumber native-born Emiratis. Neighboring Saudi Arabia, which has some 44 million citizens, wields far greater international power.


Masdar City is an artificial urban space created in the desert which relies largely on renewable energy


Sara Bazoobandi says the UAE's small size has an impact on its political style. "The UAE is willing to take risks, but unlike Saudi Arabia, it is increasingly building on soft power," she says. The country prioritizes diplomacy, she says, as it knows that this is an effective way of exerting long-term influence.

This is evident in the UAE's relationship towards Iran, Saudi Arabia's biggest adversary. For a long time, the UAE took part in the Saudi-led coalition fighting Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, who had conquered large parts of the country.

Recently, however, the UAE has increasingly withdrawn from the fighting and sought dialogue with Iran. In August, both countries' foreign ministers held a video call to discuss the coronavirus pandemic and other regional issues.

Dismal human rights record


The UAE is increasingly focusing on this kind of diplomacy, says Cinzia Bianco. Nevertheless, Abu Dhabi also continues to flex its military muscles, for instance in Libya, where it is backing renegade general Khalifa Haftar, who is also supported by Russia and Egypt. The internationally recognized Tripoli-based government, in turn, is receiving military assistance from Turkey.

However, the glitz and glam of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which so often dazzles foreign visitors, many of them from the West, ought not to distract from the UAE's poor human rights record and deficits in the area of press freedom. In the latest Reporters Without Borders press freedom report, the UAE was ranked in 131st place – out of 180.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
×