The state-owned Masdar Institute of Science and Technology has set up a team of researchers in order to support the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to achieve its goal of sending an unmanned space probe to Mars by 2021.

"The team we have set up is tasked with ensuring that our institute is able to support the UAE's Mars mission and capitalize on the diverse and high-value expertise of our research infrastructure," said Mohamed Sassi, a professor of the institute.

The initiative for the UAE's Mars mission, named "Hope," the first in the Arab world, was launched in October.

The UAE government has already invested 5.4 billion U.S. dollars in space technologies, and about 150 Emirati scientists and engineers will participate in the mission.

Source: Xinhua News Agency