On July 19, 2020, the United Arab Emirates Space Association (UAESA) launched a rocket named Hope into space in celebration of the country’s 50th anniversary. Hope went into orbit around Mars to transmit previously unobserved weather data, making the UAE the fifth nation after the United States, Russia, China, and India to reach the Red Planet. Hope was the first spacecraft launched by the UAESA to reach beyond Earth’s orbit, and just six years prior to the launch, the UAESA did not even exist.
The UAESA’s technological innovation has been driven by an emergent political identity that focuses on achieving strategic independence within a multipolar world order. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed (MBZ), president of the UAE, is a crucial American ally who relies on US military support for security. But under his leadership, the Emirati and Chinese air forces trained together for the first time last fall, perhaps signifying a shift away from the oil-rich Gulf nation’s reliance on American defense technology. Additionally, MBZ visited Russia twice in 2022 to meet with President Vladimir Putin. Last year, Putin made a rare foreign visit to the UAE, where he discussed various issues, including the Lebanese-Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the ongoing war in Ukraine. He remarked to the UAE president that their bilateral relations have reached “unprecedented heights.” These frequent meetings suggest that the relationship between the UAE and Russia may extend beyond economic and diplomatic ties, potentially encompassing political and military dimensions in the future. These examples suggest that the UAE, while perhaps not completely turning away from the West, seeks to strategically embrace the East as well.
This new geopolitical identity has the potential to deliver significant financial rewards for the UAE. The Emirates have flourished due to an influx of Russian money, oil, and gold, fueling a surge in technological investments within the affluent city of Dubai. Beyond economics, this partnership extends into space exploration. In 2019, the UAE sent its first astronaut, Hazzaa al-Mansoori, to the International Space Station on a Russian spacecraft after training at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center near Moscow. This marked a significant milestone in the UAE’s space program and solidifying collaboration with Russia in aerospace technology.
Chinese enterprises are also of special interest to the UAE as it seeks to enhance its reputation as a technological and financial center. The UAE and China plan to establish a space technology center in Abu Dhabi to enable Emirati students to gain expertise in satellite and space telescope development—the National Space Science and Technology Centre at United Arab Emirates University, the Laboratory for Space Research at Hong Kong University, and Origin Space, a private Chinese enterprise, signed a letter of intent in the Emirati capital on March 7, 2023. The UAE also announced it will establish a new high-speed wireless network using equipment from the Chinese technology giant Huawei, despite US efforts to avoid the company’s products.
Still, some UAE foreign-policy shifts have been aligned with the White House. Abu Dhabi has maintained strong ties with the United States in space exploration. In 2020, the UAE signed the Artemis Accords, a US-led initiative focused on international cooperation in lunar exploration. Emirati engineers have also worked closely with NASA on various missions, underscoring the growing technological partnership between the two nations. Additionally, the UAE was the earliest Gulf nation to support repairing relations with Israel, which it achieved in 2020 under a deal mediated by former President Donald Trump. As Israel’s prolonged bombardment of Gaza stirs regional and global discontent, public support for the Israel-UAE relationship within the Emirates has waned. Nevertheless, Emirati officials remain in firm support of maintaining diplomatic ties. In late February, Israel’s Economy Minister Nir Barkat became the first Israeli official to visit the UAE since October 7, 2023. Following his discussions with Emirati representatives, he expressed optimism, noting that “there’s a bit of sensitivity while the war is still happening, but the two countries have aligned interests, and the Abraham Accords are extremely strategic for all of us.”
A sense of vulnerability has primarily prompted the UAE’s geopolitical transformation. Before their unification in the 1970s, the diverse territories that comprised the UAE were British protectorates with a population of a few hundred thousand. Many observers anticipated that the fledgling state would ultimately be absorbed by its larger neighbors, Iran and Saudi Arabia. Thus, amidst shifting regional and global dynamics, the UAE is presently concentrating on security diversification. It has recognized that the era of multi-network relationships has arrived and does not wish to be linked with any particular global superpower.
Multipolar balancing also supports the UAE’s diverse workforce, which has been crucial in optimizing trade and fueling technological advancement. The UAE, particularly Dubai, is home to a large population of expatriates, with foreigners accounting for a whopping 88 percent of its total population. This unique demographic diversity has helped the country foster a thriving business and technology hub. By creating an inclusive environment, the UAE ensures a constant influx of skilled workers from various countries, giving it a competitive edge in international markets. The UAE’s diversified workforce is one of the key reasons why Dubai has evolved into a global technology and financial center, drawing investments from China, Russia, and the United States. The country’s embrace of foreigners and foreign companies has not only bolstered trade but also allowed it to pioneer new technologies and launch ambitious projects like the Hope probe, which is a testament to the collaborative spirit fostered by this policy of openness.
In May, the UAE revealed preparations for an ambitious follow-up mission—a grand tour of the asteroid belt—riding the success of the Hope spacecraft. In 2030, the spacecraft will arrive at Westerwald, a 1.4-mile-wide asteroid whizzing at 20,000 miles per hour, on its way to six further asteroid belt objects between Mars and Jupiter.
In numerous ways, the space program catalyzes change. Historically, oil exports and tourism have formed the foundation of the UAE economy. Today, the nation’s economy is diversifying, and space plays a crucial role in this process. By flexing its muscles in space exploration, the UAE develops a cohesive society where industry can flourish and it can expand its regional and global influence through collaboration with other superpowers, regardless of affiliation.
The UAE space program reflects its ambition to become a regional leader in innovation and technology, yet its broader strategy of “playing all sides” presents a complex balancing act. While this approach enables the UAE to diversify its alliances and enhance its global influence, it is not without risks. As the UAE navigates relationships with the United States, Russia, and China, future geopolitical shifts could challenge the sustainability of this multi-network policy. If tensions among these global powers continue to escalate, the UAE may find it increasingly difficult to maintain its position as a neutral and strategic partner to all, forcing it to make more definitive choices about its allegiances in the future.