NEP 2.0

The mission of the UAE’s Space Program to reach Mars by 2021 and build the first settlement there by 2117 has the larger goal of propelling Arab expertise in space sciences forward, into a new era. As this new sector emerges, the UAE is building new governance frameworks and new forms of public-private collaboration, especially with universities, to inspire young Emiratis to join the Space sector.

Fatima joined the brave new world of space exploration in 2018, after completing a master’s in Computing and Informational Science from the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology and working at the Abu Dhabi Digital Authority, where she helped create the city’s Artificial Intelligence Strategy. At the UAE Space Agency she leads the Space Sustainability and Cyber Risks File. “My choice to join the Agency was inspired by the fact that the Space sector in the UAE is in the early stages. We are still studying the sector’s socio-economic impact and laying down plans for government initiatives over the next 50 years. Working with the teams at the Agency, you feel like you are having direct impact on the direction of change in the industry.” 

At the Space Agency, Fatima works on developing 71 initiatives for the National Space Strategy 2030 in conjunction with an international United Nations group. She is committed to using the connections she makes at the National Experts Program to build strategic partnerships that help develop the sector. “To become a successful global hub in the space sector and transform our economy, the UAE will need to develop unique regulatory and business environments. I have learned that our success on that front is built around the principles of integration and cooperation, which are unachievable without intensifying efforts building on our strengths and capacities in the future growth industries.”