At 7.42pm (UAE time) on 9 February 2021, after a 204-day voyage across 479 million kilometres of space, the UAE’s Hope Probe will, all being well, enter orbit around Mars.

The Emirates Mars Mission is the first interplanetary foray by an Arab nation, and once accomplished will make the UAE only the fifth country to reach the Red Planet. It is set to be a fantastic achievement for a country that is rewriting the narrative around the Gulf’s oil states.

The mission reflects a significant transition in the regional economy. In the coming years, investment in scientific research will be a crucial part of the region’s development agenda. After decades of delivering growth through vast capital investments in projects, the Middle East’s oil economies are embarking on a new phase of development centred on value creation.

The December issue of MEED Business Review takes an in-depth look at how efforts to establish a knowledge economy are being stepped up amid the pandemic-induced global downturn.

In current affairs, MEED discusses how Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 US presidential elections will change the US' approach to the Middle East. We also pay tribute to Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa, Bahrain’s five-decade prime minister. As Manama mourns his loss, all eyes have turned to the implications of the departure of such a pivotal political figure.

This month's exclusive 18-page Market Focus, meanwhile, offers a comprehensive look at the Arab economies of the Maghreb, where, despite the region’s relative resilience, the pandemic has hastened the arrival of corrosive debt levels.

Finally, don't miss MEED's power developer ranking 2020, in which a narrow 322MW in equity capacity stands between France’s Engie and Saudi Arabia's Acwa Power. 

Must-read sections in the December 2020 edition of MEED Business Review include:

> BOARD REPORT: Monthly Mena news roundup

> RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT: Gulf transitions to knowledge economies

> BIG INTERVIEW: Abdullah bin Ibrahim al-Abdlkareem, SWCC governor and WTTCO chairman

> US ELECTION: How President Biden will reshape US policy in Middle East

> BAHRAIN: Kingdom bids farewell to a bastion of its politics

> ROAD TO EXPO: US to reinvent future at Expo 2020

> POWER DEVELOPERS: Engie retains power developer top slot

> INTERVIEW: Head of Hill optimistic amid adversity

> GULF PROJECTS INDEX: Oman grows despite Gulf market decline

> CONTRACT AWARDS: Region continues to record declines in contract awards activity

> BUSINESS OUTLOOK: Finance, oil and gas, construction, power and water contracts

We hope you find the December issue of MEED Business Review informative.