Day: December 6, 2022

ABU DHABI, Etihad Cargo, the cargo and logistics arm of Etihad Aviation Group, has reinforced its commitment to the Chinese and Indian markets, reinstating a twice-weekly freighter service from Shanghai to Abu Dhabi via Chennai starting 8th December.

The additional freighter service will provide additional capacity into two key global markets.

“The Indian market is currently booming,” said Martin Drew, Senior Vice President Global Sales & Cargo at Etihad Aviation Group. “The country’s industrial production is rising and manufacturing output is rebounding, driven by increases in the production of machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and metals, among others. As part of Etihad Cargo’s commitment to supporting this key market, the carrier has opened up freighter capacity from Chennai to support increased demand from customers in the region.”

This latest addition to Etihad Cargo’s network follows the introduction of twice-weekly direct flights to Guangzhou. With the introduction of this destination to the carrier’s network, Etihad Cargo became the first international airline to operate long-haul cargo and passenger services to the top three Chinese gateways — Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou — since the beginning of the pandemic.

Source: Emirates News Agency

ABU DHABI, Dr. George Friedman, founder and Chairman of Geopolitical Futures at the U.S. Naval Institute has called for getting inspired by the spirit of major geographical exploration in human history to move towards the moon, due to its proximity to the Earth and its future settlement.

He made this statement during the closing day of the Abu Dhabi Space Debate, which was held under the patronage of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

“The moon is part of planet Earth in terms of origin, and it’s no secret that the moon is part of our existence, which prompts us to discover it to know what it really looks like”, Friedman said. Some walked hundreds of feet on the moon surface, but they came back quickly and now we are trying to understand what the moon is.”

“There was a small amount of water on the moon, which means there is a lot of water but it has not yet been revealed, and once it is discovered, humans can see it there where oxygen and hydrogen can generate air similar to what exists on Earth, as well as gravity”, he added.

“We know that there are many fortunes on the planet, including metals, aluminium and others, but it is certain that the moon has its wealth that has not yet been discovered, as humanity has so far only discovered the surface of the moon, and has not thought about our close relationship with it and the extent of its similarity to the earth and the possibility of living on it.”

The founder and president of Geopolitical Futures explained that to achieve life on the moon, we need soldiers, businessmen, technologists and various segments and categories, also we must think that the wealth on the moon will be for humanity in general, where we must think about the human dimension.

He pointed out that the explorers of the moon found water and minerals from the first time, and saw that the history of humanity is based on movement and travel permanently and continuously. He explained that the most important roles that must be focused on now are: “Will there be war or peace on the moon? How do the nations agree with the aim of serving humanity? We have to ask experts questions about how this is being financed and prepare the world for what comes next.”

Source: Emirates News Agency

ABU DHABI, Sarah bint Yousef Al Amiri, Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology, Chairperson of the UAE Space Agency and the Higher Committee of the Abu Dhabi Space Debate, said that the outcomes and recommendations of the first edition of the Abu Dhabi Space Debate will contribute to the sustainability and development of the sector globally.

She added, “The Abu Dhabi Space Debate witnessed the participation of more than 400 decision makers, officials, representatives of space agencies, leaders of global space forces, and researches from 47 countries. They presented visions and ideas that contributes to the development of international cooperation, and the exchange of experiences, information, technology and modern applications for the peaceful uses of the outer space.”

Al Amiri noted that 52 international space agencies and institutions, and 77 speakers and experts in the field of space. The first edition of the Debate presented more than 35 sessions, ministerial dialogues, workshops and keynote speeches, that reviewed ideas to benefit from space technologies and applications for development purposes and preserving the integrity and sustainability of the outer space environment.

The first edition of the first of its kind Debate highlighted the challenges facing the global space sector, in the presence of presidents, governments, decision makers and leaders, in addition to representatives of international space agencies and private sector.

Participants discussed the future of the sector and its important role in enhancing sustainable development and strengthening the growth of international economy. The discussions and sessions came out with innovative strategies that help achieve the sustainability of the space sector.

The outcomes and advices of the Abu Dhabi Space Debate contributes in strengthening the communication between active forces in the sector globally. The Debate has provided a global platform that brings together leaders and policymakers in the field of space. The international debate identified the most important global needs for the space sector, which include strategic capabilities, the legal and legislative frameworks, and the required infrastructure, to develop this sector and achieve its goals.

The Debate discussed global needs for strategic capabilities, services, infrastructure, laws and basic resources, in addition to encouraging fair and peaceful access to space for all countries, and compliance with international legal frameworks and treaties of the United Nations.

The Abu Dhabi Space Debate witnessed the signing of a number of agreements and MoUs aiming at enhancing cooperation in scientific research, space exploration and knowledge exchange, in a way that serves common interests and strengthens international partnerships that are in the interest of serving the march of science and knowledge.

The UAE Space Agency signed MoUs with the Philippine Space Agency; Bayanat; Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy; Amazon Web Services; and the French National Centre for Space Studies (CNES).

Participants in the Debate worked to develop model policies at the global level, in order to consolidate cooperation in the use of outer space, for the benefit of people, in addition to developing programs and initiatives in this context.

The debate discussed a series of subjects including COP28 and space industry, Policies to drive space tech innovation, shared global infrastructure rather than individual sovereignties, threat intelligence and cyber defence for space activities and beyond, as well as a ministerial dialogue discussing the space in national science and technology programmes.

Source: Emirates News Agency