On the sidelines of its participation in the UAE Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka
The UAE Space Agency organised a series of panel discussions as part of its participation in the UAE Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka on 11 and 12 September 2025. With broad engagement, these sessions highlighted key topics such as economic barriers to space, the Artemis Accords, the UAE’s initiatives in space exploration, the future of the deep-space economy and bilateral industrial partnerships.
His Excellency Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Sports and Chairman of the UAE Space Agency said: “The UAE’s participation in Expo 2025 Osaka reflects our country’s vision to build a sustainable space economy that promotes future development and affirms our commitment to leveraging space as a driver for innovation and international cooperation. Discussions organised by the Agency served as a platform for sharing knowledge and expertise, reinforcing the UAE's role as a global bridge linking national ambitions and international initiatives to serve humanity.”
H.E. Al Falasi added: “The National Space Strategy 2030 and UAE Vision 2031 constitute a clear roadmap for our efforts to develop this sector. We believe that investing in youth and scientific research contributes to its sustainability. Through our global partnerships and ambitious national programmes, we seek to shape a space future based on technological integration and scientific cooperation, making space a domain for shared development, peace and prosperity for all of humanity."
In addition to His Excellency Dr. Al Falasi and His Excellency Salem Butti Al Qubaisi, Director-General of the UAE Space Agency, the UAE delegation participating in Expo 2025 Osaka included officials from government organisations and local companies. Representatives included Adnan Al Rais, Assistant Director-General for Space Operations and Exploration Sector at Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, astronauts Hazza Al Mansouri and Nora Al Matrooshi and Dr. Salim Chemlal, Space Data Intelligence at EDGE Group.
H.E. Al Qubaisi said: “The sessions organised by the UAE Space Agency and the Abu Dhabi Space Debate offered a platform for discussing major issues, such as space sustainability and the deep space economy, strengthening the UAE’s position as an active partner in shaping the future of this vital sector worldwide.”
H.E. Al Qubaisi continued: “We focused on enhancing cooperation with our partners in Japan and around the world and exploring opportunities to develop joint projects extending from the moon to deep space. Our efforts contribute to building an integrated space economic system, stimulating innovation and transferring knowledge to future generations.”
Under the umbrella of the Abu Dhabi Space Debate, day one featured a session entitled ‘Economic Barriers to Space — Can We Build a Fair and Open Market?’, which addressed opportunities to expand the space economy and establish sustainable global markets. The session ‘The Artemis Accords and the UAE’s Space Exploration Initiatives’ emphasised the country’s pivotal role in international agreements and outlined upcoming lunar projects, while another session, ‘Launching a Global Expert Group on Space Situational Awareness: From Proposal to Practice’, reviewed the UAE’s UN-endorsed initiative to advance sustainability and protect space as a shared environment for humanity.
On the second day, the UAE Space Agency organised ‘UAE–Japan Space Economic Zones: A Gateway to New Space Markets’, which reflected on the value of cooperation between companies operating within these zones. Meanwhile, the programme concluded with ‘UAE–Japan Lunar & Deep Space Economy — What’s Next?’, which examined lunar projects as a launchpad for deeper exploration.
The event concluded with a joint workshop aimed at bringing together experts, industry leaders and government officials from the UAE and Japan to enhance cooperation in space exploration.