How the UAE's rocks and soil could become a vital resource for the space race

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) aims to become a crucial supplier of rocks and soil for space exploration, according to recent research. Scientists from the Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi identified specific areas within the Hajar Mountains in Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Ajman, and Dubai that possess the ideal geology for testing rovers and drills used in missions to the Moon and Mars.

Professor Kosmas Pavlopoulos, an environmental geomorphology expert at the Sorbonne, expressed excitement over the findings, stating that the results are "exceptionally promising". The areas have elevated levels of the necessary minerals and are conveniently close to existing transport and processing infrastructure. Remote sensing data pinpointed prime extraction zones in these four emirates.

Extracting materials that mimic the composition of lunar and Martian soil is vital for developing mission hardware and discovering methods to extract oxygen or construct materials from these celestial bodies. Currently, limited samples from the Moon and Mars are available, with less than 400kg collected from the Moon and none returned from Mars.

The UAE's local simulant industry would alleviate supply delays and reduce dependency on foreign suppliers while providing affordable materials for universities to build advanced testing facilities and rover testing areas. Establishing a domestic source for simulants would also position the UAE as an international exporter and regional hub for planetary materials, especially as global space activities expand rapidly.