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Hope Probe minutes away from Mars, UAE residents wait with bated breath

Dubai - Several residents have taken to Twitter to express their excitement at history being made.

With the Hope Probe less than an hour away from its final destinations, residents across the UAE are waiting with bated breath for the UAE to make history.

Taking to Twitter to share their excitement, many are wishing the Hope Probe ‘Best of Luck’ as it nears the final leg of its 481 km-long journey. The hashtag #ArabstoMars continues to trend on the social media platform, with residents sharing messages of nervous anticipation.

@ShahbazWasee said, “History is about to be made. The nerves! #ArabsToMars.”

ShoukAlZaabi echoed those sentiments, saying, “By the #HopeProbe we send the message and vision of our country UAE to the Red Planet Mars.” #ArabsToMars

Citizens and expatriates alike have said they are proud of UAE’s monumental achievement.

Tarek Mohammed, an official with the Dubai Police GHQ, told Khaleej Times, “I do not think you can count this as the fruits of the success of the UAE over the last 50 years. This is only the beginning of the next 50 years because, today, if people are saying that such a young country has managed to put a 100 per cent, locally-made satellite in Mars, imagine what we can do in the next 50 years.”

He added, “It is a very big day for the UAE and what we are continuing to achieve today is nothing short of historic. It is a big achievement for the people of the UAE, which includes both UAE nationals and residents.”

Latifa Bin Haider, Founder of Baytuki, said, “I’m very proud to be an Emirati. This is a monumental step towards a promising future. I wholeheartedly believe in and follow what His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai said, “They say the sky is the limit for ambition. We say: The sky is only the beginning.”

Abdulwahid Alulama, partner in Corporate and M&A practice, White and Case LLP said, “It is a truly special and exceptional moment for the UAE. A lot of these missions to Mars have failed in the past and this is not an easy undertaking, by any means. It will be amazing if this happens and, once again, it solidifies our position on the global map for being a continuously progressive and ambitious country.”

He added, “We never settle for being average, and I think the coverage around this feat has been great. It has captured the spirit of the nation and the Arab region and I want to thank all the efforts of all my countrymen in making this a success.”

dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com