Salem Humaid Al Marri

Director general, Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre

Origin: UAE

Residence: UAE

Sector: Science and Technology

Al Marri, who was promoted to the position of director general of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) in January 2022, entered the year on solid footing with the launch of Zayed Ambition 2 – the longest Arab space mission in history – with Emirati astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi in March. 

Under his stewardship, MBRSC announced in March that the HAKUTO-R lander, carrying aboard the Rashid Rover, is now in the moon’s orbit ahead of the first Emirati mission to the moon’s surface later this month. 

Al Marri has overseen the expansion of MBRSC into new scientific and technical fields over the years while ensuring continuous developments in the global space sector. In addition, he is immensely contributing to the UAE National Space Programme by ensuring that the vision and mission of the nation are attained, including Mars 2117, the Emirates Mars Mission, UAE Astronaut Programme, and the UAE Satellite Programme.