UAE visitors to get ‘Martian Ink’ passport stamp upon arrival

All travellers entering the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will receive a Martian Ink stamp on their passports, in commemoration of the Hope Probe’s historic arrival to Mars.

According to Emirates news agency, the special passport stamp marks the spacecraft’s upcoming arrival to Mars on February 9, after it successfully overcomes the most critical phase of its mission to enter the Red Planet’s orbit.

The stamp – produced by the UAE Government Media Office in collaboration with Dubai Airports – is offering a memorable reminder of a new era for Arabs with a special message reading: “You’ve arrived in the Emirates. The Emirates is arriving at Mars on 09.02.2021.”

The probe will provide the first complete picture of the Martian atmosphere.

Khaled Al Shehhi, Executive Director of Production and Digital Communication Sector at the UAE Government Media Office added that, “To commemorate this historic occasion and celebrate the mission’s incredible victory with the rest of the world, we have created a special stamp printed with ‘Martian Ink’ – made of basalt rocks found in the deserts of the UAE.”

The limited-edition design is made from the world’s first ‘Martian Ink,’ extracted from volcanic basalt rocks that give Mars its distinct rusty colour.

The rocks were collected during a special mission to the UAE’s eastern Al Hajar Mountains and Sharjah’s Mleiha Desert by experts and gemologists.

Basalt rocks date back tens of millions of years and give the UAE’s mountain ranges their distinct rugged look.

It is pertinent to mention here that the United Arab Emirates’ first mission to Mars reached the red planet and entered orbit on Tuesday after a seven-month, 494 million km journey, allowing it to start sending data about the Martian atmosphere and climate.