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The United Arab Emirates said Wednesday that it is planning the first unmanned probe to Mars by 2021. A UAE Space Agency will be set up to supervise the mission and develop a space technology industry in the country. 

The details like the cost of the probe or how it would be designed and built are yet to revealed by the government, however, according to reports, the space agency would report to the Cabinet and will be financially and administratively independent otherwise. 

"The UAE Mars probe represents the Islamic world's entry into the era of space exploration. We will prove that we are capable of delivering new scientific contributions to humanity," said United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, according to The Daily Star.

UAE added that the unmanned probe will take nine months and will travel more than 37 million miles to Mars. 

According to UAE Cabinet Statement, the project aims to advance human knowledge and develop Emirati human capital economy. The report, however, did not mention the specific scientific goals for the probe. 

The Cabinet statement said the space technologies industry is estimated to be worth around $300 billion globally, and is increasingly important to the security of nations, reported The New Zealand Herald.