The UAE Space Agency is all set to develop new private partnerships, which will foster development in the space industry, as the country moves to position itself as a pioneer in the sector.

In a keynote speech at the Global Aerospace Summit, Minister of State for Advanced Technology, Sarah bint Yousuf Al Amiri, told viewers that lower development and manufacturing costs in 2021 would see increased accessibility to the sector.

She said following the successful launch of the Mars Hope Probe in July, the UAE Space Agency was charged with growth in the sector, including enablement of the space industry and commercial space activities.

“The next step on this space mission is to use the capabilities to develop and stimulate the development of a vibrant private sector in space with a focus on developing small, robust multiple use satellites that will feed into a new space economy,” she told the summit, usually held in Abu Dhabi, but staged virtually this year.

Al Amiri said lower costs in the coming years would increase accessibility to the space sector, and that there would be emphasis on investing the sector in the UAE.

“Investments in research and development will drive capability development and growing the space infrastructure will provide us with an added advantage,” she said.

“There will be a renewed emphasis on the development of a sustainable growth of not only in the space sector, but every sector that infuses technology in it, and provides industrial development opportunities to impact the UAE’s economy.”

Eventually, investments will mean advances in the UAE, not just in the space sector but in all industries that focus on technology, which will see the country’s technology exported, she said.

“With a focus on development of capabilities and technology aims to position the UAE as a pioneering country in the space industry. It also seeks to nurture a sustainable UAE space industry, foster a healthy national ecosystem and contribute to diversify a knowledge-based economy,” she said.

(Reporting by Imogen Lillywhite; editing by Daniel Luiz)

(imogen.lillywhite@refinitiv.com)

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