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The Rashid Rover Prepares For Its Lunar Exploration Mission

The UAE’s lunar mission will take off tomorrow, helping scientists figure out how to colonize new planets.

Published

4 years ago

November 29, 2022

the rashid rover prepares for its lunar exploration mission

Tomorrow (Wednesday, November 30th), at 12:39pm (Gulf Standard Time), the Emirati-made Rashid Rover will lift off on its mission to the Moon, while the entire Arab world looks on with pride at this huge milestone.

Rashid Rover, named after Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, will touch down on the southeastern edge of the Moon’s Mare Frigoris (Sea of Cold), from where it will begin capturing data from the vast, unexplored basins of the lunar surface.

Sending home over 10 gigabytes of scientific data and images, Rashid Rover will help scientists to study the lunar geology by supplying information on soil content, plasma levels, dust movement and other details. The advanced vehicle will carry out its mission using 3D cameras, motion sensor systems, and communication tools powered by solar panels.

As well as helping experts back on Earth to better understand our own origins, Rashid Rover will also be at the forefront of developing new technologies that could see humans colonizing the Moon and, eventually, Mars.

“The mission embodies the aspirations of the UAE. Rashid Rover will collect images and information that will allow the UAE to conduct comprehensive and integrated studies on how to build a human settlement on the Moon, prepare for future missions to study Mars and provide the scientific community with answers about the solar system and other planets,” says Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre in an official statement.

Also Read: Saudi Arabia Will Be Home To A $5 Billion Floating City

To reach its destination, Rashid Rover will hitch a lift on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket before making the final leg of the journey to the Moon’s surface using a lander called Hakuto-R M1. As the lander gets closer to the deck, the Japanese-made craft will first orbit the Moon in an elliptical trajectory before entering into a soft, vertical descent performed by fully-automated guidance systems.

Rashid Rover is the first of the UAE’s missions to the Moon, but it certainly won’t be the last. In September, MBRSC signed an agreement with the Chinese National Space Administration to begin joint projects and future lunar exploration, including sending another rover to the Moon on board Chang’e 7, which is expected to launch in 2026.

Related Topics:Space SpaceX United Arab Emirates

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Syria Just Got Its First Super App Featuring Built-In Digital Payments

Built by UAE-based Syrian founders with the Ministry of Tourism’s backing, My Syria lands as visitor numbers more than double.

Published

5 days ago

August 1, 2026

Nour Nasir

syria just got its first super app featuring built-in digital payments

For most of the past decade, paying for anything in Syria with an international card was effectively impossible. Sanctions, a collapsed banking sector, and years of isolation left the country running on cash. That is what makes the launch of My Syria — the country’s first super app — more than a routine product announcement.

Developed by 121 Living, a company founded by four UAE-based Syrian entrepreneurs — Rami Kaiem, Feras Kaiem, Waseem Qudmani, and Kinan Madi — the app launched in Damascus on July 30 under the patronage of Minister of Tourism Mazen Al-Salhani. It bundles hotels, restaurants, transport, attractions, food delivery, and other lifestyle services into a single platform, currently offering eight services with plans to expand to more than 40 verified tourism and hospitality providers across the country.

Although the app already sounds enticing, the headline feature is its built-in payments. My Syria is the first platform in Syria to support cross-border digital payments through Apple Pay, Google Pay, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express — familiar tools for international visitors, and a route into the digital economy for local businesses that have long operated outside it.

my syria super app launch event

The launch rides on a sharp rebound for the troubled country. Syria’s tourism sector recorded 3.52 million visitor arrivals in the first half of 2026, a 111 percent increase over the 1.67 million during the same period in 2025 — a mix of returning expatriates, regional visitors, and international tourists.

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The Ministry of Tourism, which supported and supervised the app’s development, frames the launch as proof of concept for a wider strategy. “Digital transformation is one of the Ministry’s strategic priorities because it enables us to build a more competitive, connected and investment-ready tourism sector,” Al-Salhani said, inviting technology companies “globally, regionally and locally” to explore opportunities across the wider economy.

For 121 Living, this is phase one, with additional services and expanded geographic coverage planned. Whether a super app can flourish in a market still rebuilding its infrastructure is an open question, but for the first time in years, a visitor to Damascus can pay for dinner with their phone.