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UAE Hope Probe To Go Into Orbit Around Mars This Week
After nearly seven months in space, the Emirates Mars Mission’s Hope Probe (Arabic: مسبار الأمل, Al Amal) will make its orbital insertion on February 9, 2021. The objective of the probe is to provide the first complete portrait of the Martian atmosphere, helping scientists understand the climate dynamics of the Red Planet.
The Hope Probe was developed by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) and the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado Boulder, and it will be the first of the three spacecraft that took advantage of the July 2020 Mars launch window, with the other two being Tianwen-1 (China) and Mars 2020 (USA).
Before Hope Probe can use its three scientific instruments to answer important questions about the loss of hydrogen and oxygen from Mars into space, it must first successfully perform a complex and risky maneuver to enter a Mars orbit, using all of its six thrusters to slow down from 121,000 km/h to 18,000 km/h.
Emirates Mars Mission
If successful, the United Arab Emirates will become only the fifth nation to reach Mars. The occasion is timed to mark the 50th anniversary of the unification of the wealthy Gulf state, so the sense of anticipation is understandably sky-high — not just figuratively but also literary. Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest skyscraper, currently shines red to signal the arrival of the Hope Probe to Mars.
Emirates Mars Mission
Regardless of how the Emirates Mars Mission ends, it has already completed its goal of stimulating young students to pursue STEM-related fields.
“We’ve seen a large shift with the mindset of students, first and foremost, within the Emirates” said Her Excellency Sarah bint Yousef Al Amiri, chairperson at the UAE Space Agency and minister of state for advanced sciences in the UAE. “But we’ve also seen a lot of keen engagement within the region, a region that is typically known to be unstable, and that has triggered a lot of thoughts with regards to what is possible” she added.
Emirates Mars Mission
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According to the world’s richest person, Elon Musk, it should be possible to send 1 million people to Mars by 2050, and the data collected by probes such as the Hope Probe are vital for making this lofty plan happen.
You’ll be able to watch live coverage of the UAE Hope Probe reaching Mars on the UAE Space Agency website.
News
Checkout.com Set To Launch Card Issuing In The UAE
The payment service provider’s expansion is a first-of-its-kind investment and could reshape digital transactions across the region.
Checkout.com is laying the groundwork to become the first global payments platform to introduce card issuing in the United Arab Emirates — a move that could reshape how businesses in the region manage financial transactions.
The company plans to roll out its domestic card issuance offering in the UAE by 2026, subject to regulatory approval. The launch would give businesses the tools to issue both physical and virtual branded cards. This, in turn, opens up new ways to reward customers, streamline expense processes, and handle B2B payouts efficiently.
Checkout.com’s CEO and Founder, Guillaume Pousaz, revealed the plans during Thrive Abu Dhabi, the firm’s debut conference in the Emirates. Joined on stage by Remo Giovanni Abbondandolo, General Manager for MENA, Pousaz presented to an audience of over 150 partners and merchants at Saadiyat Island. Also in attendance was H.E. Omar Sultan Al Olama, the UAE’s Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications.
Abbondandolo highlighted the strategic importance of the announcement: “As a global business, we focus on bringing products to markets that our customers want and need. Today’s announcement is proof of our commitment to the MENA region and its rising influence in the digital economy. The appetite for innovation here is real, and we’re proud to be building the infrastructure that powers it”.
One early adopter of Checkout.com’s UAE acquiring services is Headout, a travel experiences marketplace, which recently named the payment provider as its main partner in Europe. The company has already begun card issuing there and is keen to expand that offering into MENA once approval is granted.
The expansion of services in the UAE and beyond builds on Checkout.com’s track record in the region. It was the first global payments firm to secure a Retail Payment Services license from the UAE’s Central Bank and was instrumental in rolling out Mada and Apple Pay in both the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
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The firm has also been rolling out new products: One of the latest is Flow Remember Me, currently in beta testing. It allows shoppers to store their card information once and access it across Checkout.com’s entire network, potentially cutting checkout times by up to 70%.
Earlier this year, Checkout.com also introduced Visa Direct’s Push-to-Card solution in the UAE, enabling both domestic and international payouts. Its collaboration with Mastercard has grown as well, making it easier for businesses to send funds directly to third-party cards securely and quickly.
With regional tech ambitions on the rise — spurred by initiatives like Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the UAE’s 2031 Agenda — Checkout.com sees its role as one of a key enabler. “Our mission is to help ambitious businesses navigate the complexity of payments, so they can move faster, go further, and make the most of every opportunity,” said Abbondandolo. “In MENA, performance is personal. It’s local. It’s built on trust. And when payments perform, businesses thrive”.
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