UAE, after exhibiting the world’s tallest building, has now unveiled its plans to build the ‘first city’ on Mars by 2117, in collaboration with specialized international organisations and scientific institutes.

The announcement was made by the Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on the sidelines of the World Government Summit in the presence of representatives of 138 governments, six major international organisations, as well as leading international tech companies, the Gulf News reported. A virtual presentation depicting a preliminary concept for the city on Mars was also made.

The project aims to explore how people can get to Mars and how to create food and energy on the Red Planet. It will also try to find faster transportation methods for travelling to and from Mars.

The UAE will set a plan to prepare national cadres that can achieve scientific breakthroughs to facilitate the transport of people to Mars over the next decades.

The 100-year plan will involve scientific research programmes to nurture national cadres specialised in space sciences at universities in the UAE.

“The landing of people on other planets has been a longtime dream for humans. Our aim is that the UAE will spearhead international efforts to make this dream a reality,” Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid said.

In 2015, the UAE announced its Mars Probe mission, which will send the Arab world’s first spacecraft to the Red Planet in a scientific exploration mission that will land on planet in 2021.