Dubai: UAE innovation week aims to enhance the culture of innovation and creativity among all UAE nationals, expats and visitors, said the secretary-general of the Executive Council of Dubai on Wednesday.

Abdullah Al Shabani, the Secretary General of the Executive Council of Dubai made the statement during a press conference held in Dubai to announce the three main events the executive council is launching during Innovation Week.

UAE Innovation Week is a nationwide celebration of innovation for everyone in the UAE, to help create a culture of innovation and strengthen the UAE’s position as a global hub for innovation.

The event, which will take place from November 22 to 28, will kick off with the launch of more than 850 activities and initiatives across the UAE.

Abdullah Al Shabani, the Secretary General of the Executive Council of Dubai, said Innovation Week was launched in line with the directives of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, after President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan declared 2015 the year of innovation.

“Innovation Week aims to encourage ideas and innovation from the UAE public as a whole. It is going to be a platform for all sectors, governmental and private, to organise events and share their latest innovations. Innovation was the fundamental approach of our founding leaders who, even with the limited resources they had before the union, were able to create innovative projects such as the Jebel Ali Port and Emirates Airlines, which Dubai known worldwide,” said Al Shabani.

Aisha Miran, Assistant Secretary-General of Strategy Management and Governance Sector at the General Secretariat of the Executive Council of Dubai, revealed that the three main events organised by the executive council will focus on Space.

“The first event, which is called ‘Mission: Space’ and will be held at Burj Park, will focus on space sciences. It will include a number of educational experiments, workshops and competitions that will allow visitors to imagine how life in space would be like, ” she said.

‘Mission Space’ will take place between November 24 and 28, from 10am-10pm at Burj Park, Downtown Dubai.

This event will give visitors a glimpse into the UAE Space Programme, and the Mohammad Bin Rashid Space Centre’s past achievements and future plans for space exploration.

It will include an uplifting 360 degree film, workshops, live satellite links to Emirati engineers around the world, the Mars ‘red planet’ experience, and an interactive exhibition.

Aisha said the second event, ‘Space Explorer’, is an interactive mobile space observatory that will target families and school students, who will be able to experience outer space, galaxies and the sun through a telescope. “This activity will encourage students to explore and research,” she said.

The roadshow provides the opportunity to look at stars and solar flares through a telescope, learn about the planets in a mini planetarium and enjoy the mini space museum.

Aisha said the third event, ‘Go Innovate’ was a school road show, designed for children aged 5 to 11 and aims to inspire future generations to think big.

The event will include green energy workshops, Lego Education sessions and amazing sights and senses experiments. It will be held on November 27 at Zabeel Park from 10am-10pm and November 28 at The Walk in the Jumeirah Beach Residences from 10am-10pm.

Aisha said that during Innovation Week, there will also be a competition targeting high school students. Students who share the best innovative ideas of how their school would look like in the future will win a trip to the US, where they will get to experience first hand the innovations of top companies.

In Dubai, Hamdah Bin Kalban, a senior consultant at the Executive Council, said there are a total of 256 events organised by 65 governmental departments. Bin Kalban said the events were carefully chosen to cater to people from all ages and all walks of life.

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Innovation Week events in Dubai

- ‘Mission:Space’ will take place from November 24 to 28, from 10am-10pm at Burj Park, Downtown Dubai.

This event will include an uplifting 360 degree film, workshops, live satellite links to Emirati engineers around the world, the Mars ‘red planet’ experience, and an interactive exhibition.

-‘Go Innovate’ will be held on November 27 at Zabeel Park from 10am-10pm and November 28 at The Walk in the Jumeirah Beach Residences from 10am-10pm.

This event is a school road show, designed for children aged 5 to 11 and aims to inspire future generations to think big. It will include green energy workshops, Lego education sessions and sights and senses experiments.