Emirates
Polar
Program

About Us

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan

President of the United Arab Emirates and the Ruler of Abu Dhabi
The UAE is reminded of the critical role the polar regions play as sentinels of climate change, biodiversity, and human resilience. The polar regions are experiencing the most rapid rates of warming, with far-reaching consequences for natural ecosystems and human activities.
Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates and the Ruler of Abu Dhabi, in his visionary understanding of planetary concerns, and his commitment to addressing global challenges through deliberate actions, the UAE Polar Program has been established.

His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan

United Arab Emirates Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Chairman of the Presidential Court
The program is dedicated to advancing a high-level research agenda that addresses the grand science challenges in polar science. The UAE believes that effective, internationally coordinated research is indispensable for understanding the complex processes driving change in the polar regions and for evaluating its local, regional, and global consequences.
H.H Sheikh Mansour, United Arab Emirates Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Chairman of the Presidential Court, enabled the vision of an Emirati polar program through establishing a Emirates Polar Program Steering Committee to translate the aspirations into tangible outcomes.

Program Strategic Goals and Objectives

In light of the UAE’s efforts to keep pace with everything new in the fields of science and exploration, and to ensure its international commitment to supporting research and solutions related to global challenges, pioneering efforts at the Arab, regional and international forums, the Emirates Polar Program was created. The drivers behind the Emirati program for polar research include several objectives that are aligned with the United Arab Emirates national priorities:
Competitiveness & International Cooperation
Global Climate Action and Environmentalism
Scientific and Human Capital Advancement
Economic Diversification
Establishing a physical presence on Antarctica and The Arctic