Oman’s Etlaq spaceport opened its doors to the public for the first time on Monday, hosting a three-day fan zone experience designed to spark interest in space exploration among the country’s youth.
The event had originally been scheduled to culminate with the launch of the Horus-4 experimental rocket, developed by London company Advanced Rocket Technologies (ART).
But unsuitable weather forced the test flight to be delayed, with a new launch date to be announced soon.
Pupils from across Duqm – a coastal town about 550km from Oman's capital city of Muscat – took part in a variety of educational activities.
The fan zone, called Etlaq FX, included four tents that were placed about 3km from the spaceport’s operations team and launch pad, with the site overlooking the Arabian Sea.
Vendors from nearby villages also took part by offering workshops and activities for children.
The fan zone still buzzed with excitement, however, as pupils took part in activities that blended creativity and science.
One of the most popular attractions was hosted by Omani Archives, featuring a "space passport" activity where children collected stamps to complete various stations, including an "approved for launch" stamp.
Another creative corner invited pupils to write about or draw their dreams, which were then placed in a "time capsule" that organisers plan to open at a future fan zone event.
“We thought it was necessary to participate because this is something new that’s happening in Oman and for the first time in the region,” said Jannah Al Towaiya of Omani Archives.
“We think it’s important for children to understand that space exploration is happening here in Oman.”
The second day of the fan zone is meant to host a variety of competitions for the pupils, including in robotics. Organisers said they have planned more educational activities for children on the final day of the event to replace the postponed launch viewing.
The Horus-4 rocket, once launched, will perform a low-altitude hop test to demonstrate the performance of its reusable propulsion system.
Producing about 155 newtons of thrust, the small prototype is expected to reach an altitude of 75 metres and a speed of 24 metres per second before landing back at the site.
“By leveraging the state-of-the-art facilities at Etlaq Spaceport, ART aims to demonstrate the viability of reusable rocket technology, paving the way for more sustainable and cost-effective space missions in the future," ART said in a statement.
Start-ups are taking advantage of Oman’s upcoming spaceport to test their rocket systems, while Omani engineers use the operations to gain experience and prepare the site for full commercial services by the end of the decade.
The spaceport already hosted its first rocket launch in December with a 6.5-metre rocket, which paved the way for more test flights in 2025.
Oman is also involving its youth in the process through experiences such as the fan zone to create a future talent pipeline for its space sector.
It is the first time public launch viewing is being made possible in the Middle East, and reflects the growing investment and interest from the public and private sectors in space.
Launch sites in Florida and Kazakhstan have offered public viewing areas for years, drawing crowds from around the world to witness the thrill of a rocket lifting off.
Apart from Horus-4, Oman plans to host four more test flights this year.
The next is expected in June or July, when the Kea 1 rocket, made by New Zealand company Stellar Kinetics, is due to take off.
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
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if you go
The flights
Emirates have direct flights from Dubai to Glasgow from Dh3,115. Alternatively, if you want to see a bit of Edinburgh first, then you can fly there direct with Etihad from Abu Dhabi.
The hotel
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Located in the heart of Mackintosh's Glasgow, the Dakota Deluxe is perhaps the most refined hotel anywhere in the city. Doubles from Dh850
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Events and tours
There are various Mackintosh specific events throughout 2018 – for more details and to see a map of his surviving designs see glasgowmackintosh.com
For walking tours focussing on the Glasgow Style, see the website of the Glasgow School of Art.
More information
For ideas on planning a trip to Scotland, visit www.visitscotland.com
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Canadians living in the UAE can register to vote online and be added to the International Register of Electors.
They'll then be sent a special ballot voting kit by mail either to their address, the Consulate General of Canada to the UAE in Dubai or The Embassy of Canada in Abu Dhabi
Registered voters mark the ballot with their choice and must send it back by 6pm Eastern time on October 21 (2am next Friday)
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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What: Fifa Club World Cup play-off
Who: Al Ain v Team Wellington
Where: Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
When: Wednesday, kick off 7.30pm
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last-16 second leg
Paris Saint-Germain (1) v Borussia Dortmund (2)
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Virtual banks explained
What is a virtual bank?
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority defines it as a bank that delivers services through the internet or other electronic channels instead of physical branches. That means not only facilitating payments but accepting deposits and making loans, just like traditional ones. Other terms used interchangeably include digital or digital-only banks or neobanks. By contrast, so-called digital wallets or e-wallets such as Apple Pay, PayPal or Google Pay usually serve as intermediaries between a consumer’s traditional account or credit card and a merchant, usually via a smartphone or computer.
What’s the draw in Asia?
Hundreds of millions of people under-served by traditional institutions, for one thing. In China, India and elsewhere, digital wallets such as Alipay, WeChat Pay and Paytm have already become ubiquitous, offering millions of people an easy way to store and spend their money via mobile phone. Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines are also among the world’s biggest under-banked countries; together they have almost half a billion people.
Is Hong Kong short of banks?
No, but the city is among the most cash-reliant major economies, leaving room for newcomers to disrupt the entrenched industry. Ant Financial, an Alibaba Group Holding affiliate that runs Alipay and MYBank, and Tencent Holdings, the company behind WeBank and WeChat Pay, are among the owners of the eight ventures licensed to create virtual banks in Hong Kong, with operations expected to start as early as the end of the year.
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Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Liverpool v Porto, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
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Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
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Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
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Race card
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
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6pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-2 Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 2,200m
6.30pm: Liwa Oaisi Group 2 (PA) Dh300,000 1,400m
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The National selections: 5pm: Flit Al Maury, 5.30pm: Sadah, 6pm: RB Seqondtonone, 6.30pm: RB Money To Burn, 7pm: SS Jalmood, 7.30pm: Dalaalaat
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