United Arab Emirates 2020

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) was officially established on 2 December 1971, with 2021 being the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Gulf country. And more than ever it is a cause for celebration after such a catastrophic year as 2020.

Despite the restrictions and the lack of celebration it could bring this year, the Emirates has not stopped celebrating its 49th National Day in style, with moving tributes to the nation's founding fathers and the frontline workers who have risked their lives to protect the country from the coronavirus health crisis.

Given this deployment, we can expect anything for next year's big celebration. One of the main objectives to celebrate this important event is that the satellite, Al Amal ,will reach Mars just in time for the 50th anniversary. "The aim is to celebrate our 50th anniversary in February 2021 with a big message reaching Mars," said Omran Sharaf, project leader.

The Emirates has been committed to a radical modernisation and opening up of the country in recent years. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation wanted to summarise the development of the Gulf country "during the year that marks the starting point for the country's next 50 years".

"The year of preparation for the next 50", this is what they wanted to rename 2020. The ministry stressed that it had been an exceptional year in terms of the process of development and future prospects in all areas. Despite the difficult situation the world is going through as a result of the COVID-19, they stress that the Emirates have been able to transform challenges into opportunities.

The Gulf country wished to highlight the continuous repatriation work it has carried out from March to June as a result of the pandemic. Furthermore, the measures that have been implemented to contain the spread of the virus and which remain in force have proved effective throughout these months. These measures include: the use of stem cell therapy for patients infected with COVID-19 and a national disinfection programme. But, above all, it is essential to remember the progress made in health research, developing DPI (Diffractive Phase Interferometry) technology, which allows patients suspected of being infected by the coronavirus to be tested in a few seconds and potentially identify the carriers before they become infectious.

The space race is also named after the Emirates, which last July launched a space probe that is scheduled to land on Mars in February 2021. Shortly afterwards, in August, the UAE announced the successful connection between Unit 1 of the Barakah Power Plant in Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) network. The country is thus seeking to diversify its energy sources and minimise its dependence on oil and gas. This clean energy policy is based on the Emirates' Pacific Nuclear Energy Programme, with the Barakah plant as its flagship.

In the cultural sphere, 2020 has also brought great progress. The Museum of the Future, the first structure built entirely from 3D printing, is already in the final stages of construction.

2020 has been a year of progress for the Emirates. But 2021 will be better, because for the time being, Expo Dubai has already been scheduled, which will be the first Universal Exhibition to be held in the MEASA region (Middle East, Africa and South Asia), in the United Arab Emirates, and will run from the 1st October 2021 to the 31st March 2022 after it was postponed, which was scheduled for this year, due to the global impact of the COVID-19 health crisis.

This global conclave will bring together more than 190 countries to explore new ideas, form new connections and collectively tackle some of the greatest global challenges; remaining faithful to the aforementioned main theme of Expo Dubai 2020: 'Connecting minds, creating the future'; all aimed at fostering global cooperation to face and solve global challenges by promoting the development of the most innovative technologies. Everything will revolve around the three main pillars of the world fair: Sustainability, Opportunity and Mobility.