UAE students all set to embark on research trip to Antarctica

Dubai: The parents of the two students selected to go on a research trip to Antarctica have said they are happy, proud and also scared.

The response to the news has ranged between elation, scepticism and caution, the organisers said in a press release.

Reem Al Junaibi and Maitha Al Ka'abi, students from Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, have been selected for the International Antarctica Expedition 2012 team.

When the two announced their selection to the family members, the parents realised there was no turning back.

Last year, Reem spent six days in a remote village in Malaysia that could be accessible only through hiking up the mountain for more than four hours. It had no electricity and no connection to the outside world. Maitha, on the other hand, is an adventurer of a different kind — she is a skydiver.

"I had an idea about the expedition to Antarctica," said Reem's father, Juma Al Junaibi. "I understand the accompanying difficulty and challenges, but at the same time I knew how beneficial it would be for Reem. I believe this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and my trust in my daughter and the knowledge of her strength and courage made me agree and be confident. I wholeheartedly support and encourage her not to miss this opportunity," he added.

‘A mother's heart'

Moza Khamis Al Meqbali, Maitha's mother, said she was happy and proud. "But I was, and I am still, scared of leaving her to complete her mission, even after Maitha explained to me all the safety precautions. I am a mother and you know a mother's heart," she said.

Maitha's father, Mohammad Abdullah Butti Al Ka'abi, was happy and confused at the same time. "I do not want to be a tough father and I definitely do not want to stop her from achieving her dreams. Maitha is special to me; she has a different mindset than her sisters. She preferred to complete her higher education than take up a job. She loves to learn a lot and she respects education and the scientists."

Reem, who is the first in the family to have undertaken an expedition of this magnitude, is researching the effect of having mixed sources of energy, specifically renewable, with its intermittent behaviour on the electric grid.

Maitha's commitment to her research stems from her desire to help the UAE in its desalination efforts, and her father, with ways to reduce ground salinity at his farms that produce dates.

Benefiting the UAE

She expects the Antarctica expedition will allow her to see the process of temperature-induced salt precipitation, a key principle in her research, in the natural environment. She believes her research will effectively benefit the UAE community.

For now though, the purchase of necessary equipment is complete while the two students are making an effort to remain physically fit for the arduous journey.

Maitha's father is happy too to see his daughter fully prepared for the expedition. He adds: "She went with her partner Reem Al Junaibi and Sara Al Sayegh, an employee from Masdar, to buy the necessary equipment. I also see Maitha doing some physical exercises, including jogging around our yard, very early in the morning. As she said, she needs to be physically fit for this expedition. I can see that she is super excited to go on this trip."

The students will be headed to Ushuaia, the remote Argentine town, where the expedition including the two students from Masdar Institute will take off on February 27 to explore Chilean territories on Antarctica including Cape Horn, Drake Channel, King George Island and South Shetlands.

The 16-day journey will help them conduct research, learn sustainable living, use renewable energy and raise awareness of the isolated continent.