Watershed moment

As the historic moment nears I am extremely happy for the Emiratis. Yes, astronaut Hazzaa carries both the nation’s dream and the UAE flag to the International Space Station for the world to see (“Mansoori is ‘carrying hopes of nation on his shoulders’”, Sept.24, Gulf Today).

Though I am not an Emirati, the UAE has been my home for a little over a decade and I am as excited as the locals to see the first Emirati astronaut touch base with the International Space Mission.

I have witnessed firsthand the nation’s exponential growth in the recent past and this space mission will be another defining moment in the country’s history.  I feel privileged that I am able to join the Emiratis in their moment of pride.  It is a huge achievement, both for the astronaut and for the country, and the most encouraging part of the whole exercise is summed up accurately by Al Falasi when he says: “This is not the end but the start of a new era.”

Without doubt this will be a big boost to Emiratis who seek to explore the skies. The UAE has been relentlessly pushing the limits in space exploration while creating an ideal platform for the younger generation to lead from the front. The leadership needs credit for their visionary ideals.  I wish all success to Mansoori on his epic mission.

Farooq Shaikh
By email