In a first for any Arab country, UAE successfully launched an unmanned space mission to Mars from Japan on Monday.

Dubbed as 'Hope', the probe in the words of the director of the UAE's Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre Yousuf Hamad AlShaibani has already inspired millions of youth regionally to dream big and work hard to achieve what seems to be impossible."

The probe was carried by a Japanese rocket into the space from the Tanegashima Space Centre in southern Japan amidst much excitement.

The launch of the probe, known as "Al-Amal in Arabic, was earlier delayed twice due to bad weather.

A report by AFP quoted Yousuf Hamad AlShaibani as saying, "This mission is an important milestone for the UAE and the region."