REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, DUBAI -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) launched the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC) on Saturday.

The space center is to oversee preparations of UAE's Mars exploration probe mission, state news agency WAM reported.

The MBRSC is affiliated with the Emirates institution for advanced science and technology, which was established in 2006 by the UAE government.

The center is assigned to further research, projects and space investigation, in a manner that supports the UAE's drive to develop this sector and to promote national capacity related to space information and science.

The UAE government's focus on becoming a space hub are part of the country's preparation strategy for when oil reserves run out.