The UAE’s Mars mission probe will be carrying the hopes of the country and the region, so it is only appropriate that Hope is its name, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid said on Wednesday.

“Sheikh Zayed was the hope of the UAE and the UAE is the hope of the region,” said Sheikh Mohammed, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai. “Our generation is the hope of Arabs and Muslims, so the choice of the name for the probe is Hope.”

In Arabic, it is called Al Amal.

With 75 Emirati scientists and engineers taking part in the project, the UAE is preparing to become the first Arab country to send a mission to another planet.

“The mission will send three important messages,” Sheikh Mohammed said. “The first is for the world: that Arab civilisation once played a great role in contributing to human knowledge and will play that role again.

“The second is to our Arab brethren: that nothing is impossible and that we can compete with the greatest of nations in the race for knowledge.

“The third is for those who strive to reach the highest of peaks: set no limits to your ambitions and you can even reach space.”