UAE plans 50-scientist Antarctica base and its own research ship

Dubai: The UAE’s long-term polar ambitions took a significant step forward this week, with plans to build a permanent Antarctic research base capable of hosting more than 50 scientists and a dedicated UAE vessel to transport teams, equipment and laboratories from the Emirates to the southern continent. The announcement came from Dr Abdulla Al Mandous, Director-General of the National Center of Meteorology and President of the World Meteorological Organisation, who outlined the scale of the Emirates Polar Program during a session at the Dubai Future Forum.

Dr Al Mandous said the UAE is entering a new phase of scientific capability, one that extends from space exploration to the Earth’s most remote environments. The upcoming Antarctic base is expected to anchor long-term research on climate systems, cryosphere behaviour and global environmental change. “We are also planning to have a complete base for researchers that can accommodate more than 50 people there,” he said. “We are also thinking of having our own ship that will transport our people from the UAE to Antarctica, with an equipment laboratory.”

Understanding the poles

Dr Al Mandous opened with a tour of the fundamentals behind polar science. He explained the key differences between the Arctic and Antarctic regions, noting that the North Pole is an area of floating ice on water, while the South Pole is a continental landmass that experiences winter temperatures of minus 60 to minus 70 degrees. He highlighted the importance of the Antarctic Treaty, which now has 58 member states, including the UAE, which joined in 2024. He also emphasised the role of SCAR, the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, and the broader cryosphere, a term encompassing polar environments and high-mountain ice systems.

Why is the UAE committing to the polar regions?

Dr Al Mandous said the clear connection between polar change and regional climate drives the UAE’s interest. Rising ocean temperatures, accelerating ice melt and shifts in global circulation patterns all influence weather conditions in the Arabian Gulf. “We want to be ahead so that we know what is the future of our climate is,” he said.

He added that this commitment aligns with the UAE’s broader scientific trajectory. The country has reached space, he said, yet there remain parts of the planet that are essential to understanding future climate risks.

The Emirates Polar Program has already begun its fieldwork. UAE researchers have joined Bulgarian Antarctic missions to gain firsthand experience, and a Bulgarian vessel carrying a UAE laboratory was recently dispatched from Europe to the Southern Ocean. “We'll install a weather station, we'll install a seismic station, and we are going to install a tied station to measure the water height,” Dr Al Mandous said.

The program is backed by an international network of partners, including New Zealand, India, Argentina, Bulgaria and Türkiye. These partnerships provide logistics, training and access to established polar infrastructure. “We have a really good friendship on that,” he said, noting the importance of cooperation in an environment where no single country operates alone.

Dr Al Mandous acknowledged that Antarctica remains one of the most difficult locations on Earth for scientific work. “There are a lot of challenges that we are facing,” he said. “The environment is very large. It is lonely. It is very expensive also to transfer things, to build things.” He hopes to visit the UAE’s future laboratory during the 2026 mission season.

A long-term investment in youth and scientific talent

He emphasised that the UAE’s involvement is not limited to infrastructure, but also includes developing a new generation of researchers. Students from the National Centre of Meteorology, Khalifa University and Abu Dhabi Polytechnic are already taking part in training, with more universities expected to join once the UAE’s base is operational.