The United Arab Emirates is strengthening its scientific presence in the Arctic and Antarctic through international treaties, research partnerships and high-profile exploration missions aimed at advancing global climate and planetary science.
The UAE has acceded to the Antarctic Treaty System, enabling it to participate in consultative meetings and propose national research initiatives alongside international climate agencies. It has also secured observer status on the Arctic Council ,expanding its role in northern environmental cooperation.Earlier this week, Emirati researchers from Khalifa University also joined India’s 45th Antarctic Expedition at Maitri station, exploring Mars-like landscapes to advance polar and planetary science.
In February, Emirati meteorology and seismology specialists, working with the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute, installed two advanced monitoring stations in Antarctica to gather atmospheric and seismic data. In 2025, the UAE signed memoranda of understanding with Argentina and New Zealand to enhance cooperation in Antarctic research, exchange academic expertise and support capacity-building, as part of its long-term goal of establishing permanent research laboratories at both poles.
The UAE’s growing profile has been highlighted by individual achievements, including 18-year-old Fatima Abdulrahman Al Awadhi becoming the youngest Arab woman to summit Mount Vinson, and explorer Ibrahim Sharaf Al Hashemi completing a circular flight around Antarctica, building on Abdullah Al-Ahbabi’s earlier “polar hat-trick” expeditions.
(Reuters)
