DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates announced plans on Friday that it will build a new satellite named MBZ-Sat. The new satellite is named after the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. We approved building the new satellite MBZ-Sat, the region’s most technologically advanced in the civil and commercial sector, to be 100% designed by Emiratis. Our first satellite entirely developed in the UAE was ‘KhalifaSat’ that is already sending high-res space images. pic.twitter.com/G7UAItKHDV — HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) October 28, 2020 Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum said an Emirati team will build the satellite, using the latest technology in the region. The satellite will be used for civilian and commercial purposes, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid said. MBZ-Sat - which is part of the UAE satellite program and nation space program - will aim to meet the increasing demand for space data, Senior Director at Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation, Amer Al-Sayegh said during a press briefing. Our efforts continue towards developing a competitive and integrated space sector, led by national experts, astronauts and research centers. Our Hope probe and lunar rover are the beginning of the UAE’s participation in the global race to space. pic.twitter.com/BY0gBOk8J7 — HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) October 28, 2020 Production of the satellite is expected to be completed in 2023, according to Sayegh. The UAE is currently in talks with possible partners for the launch of the satellite, he added. The satellite is expected to have a life cycle of five to seven years.