UAE Celebrates 54th National Day: Domestic Achievements, Global Space Dominance, and Women's Empowerment

The UAE celebrates its 54th National Day this year, marking another milestone in what the country has designated as 2025 "Year of Community." The nation has strengthened its position as a major economic force regionally and globally, while achieving significant breakthroughs in space exploration, gender equality, and housing support for citizens.

**Space achievements take center stage**

The UAE launched six satellites in 2025, including "Al Thuraya 4," "Mohammed bin Zayed Sat," "Al Ain Sat-1," "HCT-SAT 1," the second phase of the "Foresight" satellite constellation, and "Etihad Sat." The UAE Space Agency also completed the final design phase for the Emirates Asteroid Belt Exploration Project.

Space42, working with SAR satellite operator IceEye, successfully launched three new radar satellites into low Earth orbit. These satellites - "Foresight-3," "Foresight-4," and "Foresight-5" - are part of the Earth observation constellation. The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre announced in November that it finished developing the "Rashid 2" rover for the UAE's lunar exploration mission.

**Women's empowerment shows measurable results**

The UAE ranked 13th globally and first regionally in the 2025 Gender Equality Index published by the UN Development Programme. The World Economic Forum selected three Emirati women for membership in the 2025 Global Young Leaders Council.

The country launched the "Mother of the Emirates 50:50" vision this year, focusing on family and national identity, governance and strategies, and international development partnerships. The General Women's Union continued rolling out initiatives like the "We Plant for Sustainability" project and councils for Emirati businesswomen in friendly countries.

**Housing support reaches new levels**

The Zayed Housing Programme issued 2,971 housing decisions from January through the third quarter of 2025, totaling 2.069 billion dirhams. The program launched an initiative to secure financing for housing support decisions, with special focus on elderly citizens. Coverage extends until age 95, providing long-term financial protection for Emirati families in cases of death or permanent total disability.

Abu Dhabi announced agreements to develop 13 new residential communities, providing over 40,000 homes and residential plots for citizens at a total cost of 106 billion dirhams. The emirate also approved three housing benefit packages worth 15.384 billion dirhams, benefiting 10,718 citizens across various areas.

Dubai announced housing projects worth 5.4 billion dirhams across multiple areas, plus an additional housing package exceeding 2 billion dirhams that includes more than 1,100 residential units. Sharjah's Executive Council approved two batches of residential and investment land grants for 3,500 beneficiaries - 1,750 for residential land and 1,750 for investment land.

These achievements reflect the UAE's continued focus on building a sustainable future while maintaining its commitment to citizen welfare and technological advancement. The space program positions the country as a serious player in the global space economy, while housing initiatives ensure social stability at home.