Launched in December 2022 onboard the Hakuto-R lunar lander, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) Emirates Lunar Mission (ELM) Rashid-1 rover experienced an unsuccessful landing on the lunar surface on April 25th, 2023. The mission’s prime landing site was Atlas crater, a 87 km diameter floor-fractured crater emplaced within the lunar highlands in the northeastern quadrant of the Moon. This paper describes the landing site selection procedure for the ELM Rashid-1 rover, from technical requirements that led to the selection of four broad areas of interest, to the placement of candidate landing ellipses based primarily on slope analysis and science interest. The rock abundance and presence of boulders were analyzed to verify the suitability of the target location for landing. Geological context as well as high resolution imagery and topography are presented for the four selected landing sites: Atlas crater (prime), Sinus Iridum, Oceanus Procellarum, and Lacus Somniorum (back-ups). Terrain characteristics and key science questions to be addressed at these locations are discussed, emphasizing the high scientific value of these locations for future lunar missions.