City dedicated to researching Mars colonization unveiled

The National -- A new city dedicated to researching how mankind could live on Mars was unveiled at the first annual review of the UAE Government’s plans for the future.

Named Mars Scientific City, the Dh500 million project was described by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, as an “extraordinary national project” that would cover 1.9 million square feet and would simulate conditions for human settlement on the Red Planet.

A series of images released on Sheikh Mohammed’s Twitter account showed what seemed to be a series of huge bio domes in a desert setting dedicated to research and long term space exploration and colonisation, including experiments in growing plants. 

 Last year, Sheikh Mohammed spoke of the UAE's vision to build a city on Mars by 2117.

The Mars project is  just part of Government’s first annual review of key national development plans, including UAE Vision 2021 and the UAE Centennial in 2071, held in Abu Dhabi and presided over by Sheikh Mohammed and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

Announced in March this year, UAE Centennial 2071 was described as being based on the four pillars of education, economy, government development and community cohesion, with the goal of making the UAE the best country in the world by the 100th anniversary of the country’s founding.

Among the proposals was a consultative council to seek the views of young people and a national strategy based developing the UAE’s soft power and its international reputation.

The year 2021 - the 50th anniversary of the UAE - will also see the arrival of the space probe Hope in orbit around Mars, where it will carry out scientific research. The Emirates Mission to Mars will be the first probe sent to the planet by a Muslim country and signals the growing interest in space exploration by the UAE.

The most ambitious of these projects is the objective of human colonisation of Mars by 2117, with a city built by the UAE. Creating a specialist research city dedicated to discovering ways humans could survive on the hostile environment of the Red Planet would be a crucial first step towards this.