UAE Assistant Foreign Minister for Advanced Science and Technology. In this capacity, H.E. represents the Emirates on the global stage in the fields of advanced science, technology, and space. In June 2022, he was appointed chair of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. Previously, Omran Sharaf served as the Project Director for the Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) in Dubai. He led the development, launch, and operation of the Hope probe, which successfully reached Mars’s orbit on February 9, 2021. Omran played a crucial role in transitioning MBRSC from focusing on Earth observation satellites to interplanetary exploration capabilities. An experienced electronics and systems engineer trained in the US and South Korea, Omran Sharaf previously developed the Command & Data Handling Subsystem (C&DH) for the DubaiSat-1 satellite and led the C&DH and payload electronics subsystems for DubaiSat-2. Prior to his work on the Emirates Mars Mission, Omran was the Director of the Programs Management Department at MBRSC, overseeing new strategic programs and ensuring the success of various space missions. Omran holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Virginia (2005) and a Master’s in Science and Technology Policy from KAIST, South Korea (2013).
For a reasonably open world
