The UAE Space Agency participated in the 104th session of the Arab League’s Economic and Social Council ministerial meeting, which was held at the Arab League’s headquarters in Egypt. The UAE Space Agency was represented by a delegation of senior officials, who discussed means of enhancing regional cooperation in the field of space within the framework of the Arab Space Coordination Group.
During the meeting, which was attended by ministers and senior officials from Arab states, H.E. Dr. Eng. Mohammed Nasser Al Ahbabi, Director General of the UAE Space Agency, outlined the UAE space sector’s various stages of development and its rapid transformation from ambitious vision to a regional leader. H.E. Dr. Eng. Al Ahbabi spoke about the UAE Space Agency’s projects and its role in developing the sector, through building specialized human resources and establishing international partnerships. His Excellency also discussed the Arab Space Coordination Group and its ongoing development of the Arab satellite 813, as well as with the importance of the UAE’s space policy and law for regulating the space sector in the country.
H.E. Dr. Eng. Al Ahbabi said: "Our participation in the Arab League’s Economic and Social Council ministerial meeting underlines the importance of the space sector in the region and the Arab states' commitment to advancing their efforts in this field by enhancing collaboration within the framework of the Arab Space Coordination Group."
"We are proud to host the development and construction of the ‘Satellite 813’ project, the first of its kind in the region, given its importance in promoting Arab collaboration in space. This project will inspire Arab youth to study space sciences and technology and pursue careers in the aerospace sector. It embodies the UAE’s message of opportunity within the Arab World and strives to revive the region’s legacy in space science and exploration,” added H.E. Dr. Eng. Al Ahbabi.
"The UAE continues to work to enhance Arab cooperation in the space industry with the aim of unifying national efforts under the umbrella of the Arab Space Coordination Group, which will support the region’s presence within the international space community," concluded H.E. Dr. Eng. Al Ahbabi.
The Arab League's Economic and Social Council praised the pioneering UAE space program, hailing the UAE's efforts to support Arab cooperation in the field of space sciences, for the ultimate benefit of all humanity.
On the sidelines of the meeting, the UAE Space Agency’s delegation met with the Secretary General of the Arab League H.E. Dr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit and H.E. Juma Mubarak Al Junaibi, the UAE Ambassador to Egypt and Permanent Representative to the Arab League, to discuss prospects of future cooperation with the Arab League and the means of promoting the presence of Arab states on an international level.
The UAE Space Agency’s delegation also held several meetings with Egyptian officials, notably H.E. Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Higher Education, who is overseeing space affairs in Egypt, and H.E. Dr. Mohamed El-Qosi, CEO of the Egyptian Space Agency, to discuss means of bolstering cooperation in the space sector as a part of the UAE's initiative for Arab space cooperation and the satellite 813 project.