The UAE Hot Air Balloon Team has signed an international partnership with Japan’s Saga Balloon Museum to establish the Middle East’s first comprehensive hot air balloon museum in the UAE, further expanding the country's cultural, tourism and aviation-related attractions.

Named the UAE Balloon Museum 7, the facility will become the seventh specialised hot air balloon museum worldwide, joining two institutions in the United States and others in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Japan. The museum will be operated and managed by Emirati professionals, making the UAE the first country in the Middle East to host such an institution.

The agreement was signed during an official visit by a UAE Hot Air Balloon Team delegation to the Saga Balloon Museum in Japan, coinciding with the team's participation in the 39th Pacific Cup and the Saga International Balloon Fiesta.

During the visit, the delegation explored international technologies and management systems used in specialised aviation and balloon museums, while exchanging expertise with Japanese counterparts to support the development of the proposed facility.

Captain Abdulaziz Nasser Al Mansoori, Head of the UAE Hot Air Balloon Team, said: “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.”

He 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 museum will showcase the history and development of hot air ballooning, including the technologies involved in balloon manufacturing and operation. It will also document the UAE Hot Air Balloon Team's international journey and participation in events around the world.

A dedicated section will highlight the team's mission of promoting peace and tolerance through a balloon carrying the slogan, “The world will never forget you, Zayed.” The initiative honours the legacy of the UAE's Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

Kiyoshi Mori, Deputy Director of the Saga Balloon Museum, welcomed the partnership and reaffirmed the Japanese institution's support for the UAE project. He also recalled the UAE team's historic participation in the 39th Pacific Cup and Saga International Balloon Fiesta in 2006, when it became the first team to have an Arabic name inscribed on the museum's honour boards.

The partnership is expected to facilitate knowledge transfer and strengthen international cooperation in ballooning, museum management and aviation heritage.

Through the UAE Balloon Museum 7, the UAE Hot Air Balloon Team aims to create a destination combining tourism, cultural preservation, education and professional training, while introducing visitors to the history and international development of hot air ballooning. -TradeArabia News Service