The Arab countries are aiming for space, with the West or with China
In the drive to embrace emerging technologies and exploit their potential commercial opportunities, Gulf countries are embarking on new initiatives to strengthen their domestic space industries, and to do so they seek new partners, all with substantial financial resources available.
In June, the Saudi Arabian Cabinet approved the transformation of the Saudi Space Commission, established in 2018, into a fully-fledged government agency known as the Saudi Space Agency (SSA) , underlining the Kingdom's commitment to the space sector and in exploration activities. The move followed the successful launch of Saudi Arabia's first space mission in May to the International Space Station (ISS). The trip was sponsored by the Saudi government and included two Saudi astronauts, one of whom – a stem cell researcher – was the first Arab female astronaut. The trip was overseen by Houston-based Axiom Space, which is looking to build the first commercial space station since its departure from the ISS.
The UAE has also made significant progress in space. Since releasing its National Space Strategy 2030 in 2019, it has opened four space research and development centers, established national space-related laws and regulations, and launched its own Hope Probe , which orbited Mars in 2021, making the United Arab Emirates United the sixth country in the world and the first in the Arab world to reach the planet.
Cross-sector diversification
Developing the space sector and embarking on ambitious exploration plans requires a massive upfront capital outlay for projects that may not bear fruit for several years. These are investment time horizons with which the Gulf countries not only have significant oil and gas experience, but also correspond to their long-term strategies for diversifying their economies.
The expansion of space activities is accelerating across the region thanks to advances in technologies constituting the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) – blockchain, artificial intelligence, 3D printing, materials science, nanotechnology and biotechnology – which have reduced the costs of satellite launches and increased capabilities of smaller satellites.
4IR represents an opportunity that could make a profit for Saudi Arabia's $266.6 billion, in line with the Kingdom's 2030 Vision.
More concretely, investing in space helps Gulf countries build technical capabilities and expertise in aerospace engineering, satellite manufacturing and advanced research and development to strengthen the defence, tourism and technology sectors and diversify their economies.
In addition to the SSA, the Saudi Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia's largest sovereign wealth fund, launched Riyadh Air, a low-cost airline that aims to compete with other regional airlines, in March and placed an order for 72 aircraft Boeing 787. The company will have a sustainability advantage thanks to its fleet of newer, more efficient aircraft and the use of sustainable aviation fuel. The goal is to start operations in 2025.
In June, the SSA held meetings with the French aviation company Airbus to improve cooperation in the space sector and other potential investment projects.
On the defense front, Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), launched in 2017, has amassed more than $10 billion in contracts with foreign firms in an effort to locate more than 50 percent of defense spending by 2030. The year last year, SAMI announced a joint venture with Boeing to provide maintenance, repair and overhaul services and support services for military rotary platforms operating in the Kingdom.
Also in June, in an agreement signaling possible synergies between aerospace and defense, SAMI's subsidiary, SAMI-AEC, announced a partnership to make Saudi Arabia home to the Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod Repair Center of Lockheed Martin for line replaceable units for helicopters in the Middle East.
Lockheed Martin Sniper Pod
Satellite imaging
In their entry into the space sector, the Gulf countries have prioritized the development of domestic capabilities to build satellites in order to strengthen communication and monitoring systems.
Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman have all launched satellites in recent years, while Oman has built its own satellite. Qatar's Es'hailSat satellite company entered into a strategic partnership with Axess Networks in January to provide teleport and small aperture terminal (VSAT) services to strengthen satellite communications networks.
The UAE has been at the forefront of this through its National Space Strategy 2030. Last year, the UAE created an $817 million fund to support international and Emirati companies collaborating in the engineering sector space, science and research applications, with the near-term goal of developing and launching a constellation of advanced imaging satellites.
Last year, the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) launched the world's first nanosatellite in partnership with space engineering firm NanoAvionics to monitor and maintain water and energy infrastructure. DEWA is the first utility to use satellites in this manner and aims to leverage its experience and offer satellites as a service to other utilities around the world as they continue to digitize and improve their infrastructure.
In May, Nanjing-based start-up Origin Space, the UAE University's National Space Science and Technology Center and the University of Hong Kong's Laboratory for Space Research signed a letter of intent to Abu Dhabi to build a joint research and development center in the city. The center will build remote sensing satellites and space telescopes and undertake joint deep space exploration missions.
Global Partnerships
Investing in space is an opportunity to capitalize on what many see as a major opportunity to commercialize space travel and communications. With the ISS in retirement, companies like Axiom Space, as well as Blue Origin and Nanoracks, have announced plans to build stations in low Earth orbit.
China is interested in developing its Tiangong space station, which will become operational in 2022, and is looking to partner with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. China announced its intentions at the first China-Gulf summit held in Riyadh in December, specifying areas related to remote sensing and communications satellites, space utilization, aerospace infrastructure, and astronaut selection and training, according to the key speech of the summit given by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Following the establishment of the SSA in June, the agency quickly held meetings with Chinese government agencies and businesses to discuss increased cooperation and partnerships in the fields of technology, industry and space exploration.
Abdullah Al Swaha, chairman of the SSA board of directors, met with his counterpart from the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation and other leading figures in the space industry in Beijing. Meanwhile, a Saudi delegation held talks with China's Galaxy Space, which develops and sells communications satellites, and iSpace, which specializes in developing and manufacturing spacecraft.
International utility company Serco launched its Saudi Space Division in March, through which it will establish local capabilities for its global space operations, consultancy and advisory services. These span the entire lifecycle of a mission, from spacecraft and mission design to data management, operations, and decommissioning, including spacecraft control, ground segment operations, and engineering.
In May, Nanjing-based start-up Origin Space, the UAE University's National Space Science and Technology Center and the University of Hong Kong's Laboratory for Space Research signed a letter of intent in Abu Dhabi to build a joint research and development center in the city . The center will build remote sensing satellites and space telescopes and undertake joint deep space exploration missions.
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The article The Arab countries aim for space, with the West or with China comes from Scenari Economici .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/i-paesi-arabi-puntano-allo-spazio-con-loccidente-o-con-la-cina/ on Tue, 29 Aug 2023 16:50:57 +0000.