The United Arab Emirates has become the first Arab country to join the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, connecting Emirati scientists to a global network studying Antarctica’s effects on the climate system and positioning the UAE as a regional leader in polar science diplomacy.
The membership expands the Emirates Polar Programme, which President Sheikh Mohamed launched three years ago. The programme puts Emirati researchers at the center of international collaboration under the Antarctic Treaty System, a framework that reserves the continent for peaceful scientific purposes and guarantees freedom of scientific investigation across borders.
Mariam Almheiri, head of the International Affairs Office at the Presidential Court and chairwoman of the Emirates Polar Programme Steering Committee, described the membership as both a scientific and institutional achievement. “The UAE’s membership in the committee marks an important milestone for the Emirates Polar Programme and the development of our national capabilities in polar science,” she said. She stressed that progress in polar regions depends on “international co-operation, shared knowledge and long-term partnerships.” Through the committee, Almheiri said, Emirati scientists can “contribute to international research, work alongside leading scientific institutions and build the expertise that will support the UAE’s growing role in polar science.”
Building Research Infrastructure
The UAE participates through the Polar Research Centre at Khalifa University, where researchers are building expertise in environmental monitoring and field research. Emirati scientists now have access to the committee’s international research groups, which study ice-sheet dynamics, Southern Ocean change, permafrost and geological history. Early-career researchers can pursue fellowships, placements and scientific exchanges—opportunities that build institutional capacity over time.
Dr Aisha Al Suwaidi, professor of Earth science at Khalifa University, linked the research to broader public engagement. “Through Scar, we look forward to contributing to shared scientific priorities and building partnerships across nations in the co-operative spirit that defines Antarctica,” she said. The university, she added, “is committed to bringing artists and storytellers alongside scientists, so that Antarctica’s story reaches our society as well as our laboratories.”
Gary Wilson, president of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, recognized the UAE’s existing research activity. “The Emirates Polar Programme already has several strong Antarctic research programmes, and we look forward to including Emirates researchers across the Scar Research programme and building collaborative research efforts to address globally important challenges,” he said.
The Polar Context
Antarctica matters well beyond academic study. The continent sits more than 500 metres above sea level, making it the coldest and highest on the planet. Winter temperatures fall below minus 60°C. It has no permanent human population and little terrestrial life, yet contains nearly 70 per cent of the world’s freshwater, held in ice accumulated over millions of years. Rising global temperatures are already changing Antarctic ice, reshaping oceans and coastlines far beyond the poles. Research there therefore matters strategically to nations that rely on stable sea levels and ocean systems.
The UAE’s research engagement also reaches the public. Dr Hussain Khansaheb, an Emirati marine engineer and Dubai Holding’s inaugural National Sustainability Champion, took part in an Antarctic expedition focused on climate change awareness. He plans to share lessons from the expedition with students in the UAE, bringing polar research into domestic education and public understanding.
The National reported last December that the UAE had become the first Arab nation to commit to scientific research under the Antarctic Treaty System. That commitment now has a formal institutional footing: membership gives the UAE a seat at the table where researchers set Antarctic priorities and structure collaborative projects.
Why This Matters:
The UAE’s membership in SCAR reflects a strategic approach to scientific soft power and climate research serving regional and global interests. As the first Arab participant in a major international scientific framework, the UAE gains influence over how polar research is conducted, which scientists take part and which priorities receive resources. The move also signals to the international scientific community that the UAE considers climate change and environmental monitoring central to its long-term governance strategy. For the broader Middle East, it creates a platform for Arab scientists to contribute to globally significant research without relying on Western institutions as intermediaries.
The membership also brings data advantages: as polar ice responds to climate change, nations with a research presence in Antarctica gain access to real-time environmental intelligence that informs domestic policy on water security, coastal adaptation and energy planning. For small nations investing in scientific capacity, memberships like this can multiply influence, turning limited resources into a stronger voice within networks of advanced research programs.