SHARJAH: The UAE Hot Air Balloon Team has entered into an international partnership with the Saga Balloon Museum in Japan to establish the first comprehensive hot air balloon museum in the Middle East. To be based in the UAE, the facility will be named the “UAE Balloon Museum 7”, reinforcing the UAE’s leadership in the tourism, culture, and sports sectors.The agreement was signed during an official visit by a delegation from the UAE Hot Air Balloon Team to the Saga Balloon Museum in Japan, coinciding with the team’s participation in the 39th Pacific Cup and the Saga International Balloon Fiesta in Saga. During the visit, the delegation explored the latest global technologies and systems used in the management and development of aviation and balloon-related museums, while also exchanging expertise with their Japanese counterparts in this specialised field.Through this collaboration, the “UAE Balloon Museum 7” will join an elite global network, becoming the seventh specialised museum of its kind worldwide, alongside two museums in the United States and institutions in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Japan. Consequently, the UAE will become the first and only nation in the Middle East to host such a unique international landmark, which will be operated and managed by Emirati professionals.Captain Abdulaziz Nasser Al Mansoori, Head of the UAE Hot Air Balloon Team, expressed his immense pride in this significant national achievement, stating, “We are extremely proud that the United Arab Emirates has become the first nation in the Middle East to possess a comprehensive, integrated system in the world of hot air ballooning. The establishment of the ‘UAE Balloon Museum 7’, in collaboration with prestigious international institutions such as the Saga Balloon Museum, represents a qualitative leap and a knowledge bridge connecting our region to the horizons of aviation, both in its historical and modern aspects.”Al Mansoori added, “This project is not merely a unique tourism and cultural experience; it also serves as a comprehensive and sustainable educational and training hub, facilitating the transfer of global expertise to our national talent. This aligns with the vision of our wise leadership to embrace innovative projects that consistently position the UAE at the forefront globally.”The new museum will serve as an international platform to showcase the history of hot air balloons, as well as the technologies used in their manufacturing and operation. It will also document the journey of the UAE Hot Air Balloon Team and its international tours, which have carried the UAE’s message of peace and tolerance since the team’s inception to honour the legacy of the nation’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, through a balloon bearing the slogan, “The world will never forget you, Zayed.”Kiyoshi Mori, Deputy Director of the Saga Balloon Museum in Japan, expressed his delight at welcoming the UAE Hot Air Balloon Team. He noted that the team left its mark on the museum by becoming the first to have an Arabic name inscribed on the honour boards in 2006 through its participation in the 39th Pacific Cup and the Saga International Balloon Fiesta in Japan. Mori also affirmed the museum’s support for the establishment of the UAE Balloon Museum.
