The United Arab Emirates is strengthening its role in global climate research by expanding its scientific and diplomatic footprint across the Arctic and Antarctic through treaty accessions, international partnerships, and landmark research and exploration efforts.
In a significant policy move, the UAE acceded to the Antarctic Treaty System under Federal Decree No. 165 of 2024, granting it the ability to participate in consultative meetings and propose national research initiatives alongside leading international climate bodies. At the same time, the country secured observer status on the Arctic Council through Federal Decree No. 164 of 2024, enabling broader engagement in Arctic environmental discussions and future research programmes.
On the ground, Emirati scientists are already contributing to polar data collection. In February, meteorology and seismology specialists from the UAE partnered with the Bulgarian Antarctic Institute to install advanced atmospheric and seismic monitoring stations in Antarctica. This collaboration continued in November, when a UAE research team joined Bulgaria’s 34th Antarctic expedition for the second consecutive year, working from UAE-operated laboratories at the Bulgarian base.
These efforts fall under the UAE Polar Programme, launched in 2024 to build national expertise in polar sciences and enhance the country’s contribution to climate research. In 2025, the UAE further deepened its engagement by signing memoranda of understanding with Argentina and New Zealand to promote Antarctic research cooperation, academic exchange, and institutional capacity-building.
The UAE’s polar presence has also been marked by individual achievements. This month, 18-year-old Emirati mountaineer Fatima Abdulrahman Al Awadhi became the youngest Arab woman to summit Mount Vinson. Her achievement follows explorer Ibrahim Sharaf Al Hashemi’s record-setting circular flight around Antarctica, reinforcing the UAE’s growing role in polar exploration and science.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
