National investment in space technology is continuing to grow, as the UAE seeks to develop a long-term strategic plan for a solid and sustainable foundation for advanced space innovation and exploration.

The UAE’s investment in space technology is a substantial Dh20 billion ($5.44 billion), as compared to $300 billion in the international space industry, said a statement.

It is expected to aid the growth of science and knowledge based economy, it said.

Leading industry experts from around the world will meet in Dubai at the Global Space & Satellite Forum (GSSF) from May 26 to 28 to discuss how commercial space and satellite technology is creating new economic, social and educational benefits for nations globally.

The forum will discuss topics such as space technology applications, innovative solutions; low-cost satellite developments such as macro and nano satellites; and how satellite systems are improving lives – ranging from life-saving developments in the field of disaster management to the delivery of entertainment media via handheld consumer devices.

It is being organised by Streamline Marketing Group (SMG), in close collaboration with the UAE Space Agency and Emirates Institution for Advance Science and Technology.

Dr Mohammed Naser Al Ahbabi, director general of the UAE Space Agency, said: “We look forward to taking part in debating the key developments in space technology at the Global Space & Satellite Forum 2015.

“We expect this forum to provide an arena that will showcase the competing commercially self-sustaining space programmes which are emerging as a direct result of new space technology trends, leading a new era of space utilisation similar to the one which paved the way for commercial aviation in the first half of the last century.

“Key to this, we believe, is the development of innovative space technologies and applications, some of which will enable low cost access to space and the emergence of affordable space exploration and human presence in space.”

The UAE Space Agency was established in July last year, with an aim to develop the UAE’s technical and intellectual capabilities in space technology and leading the region’s entry into the era of space exploration, said the statement.

“The UAE leadership has made the bold decision and firm commitment to keep our country at the forefront of this new space revolution by announcing the establishment of the UAE Space Agency and the UAE’s own mission to explore Mars,” said Dr Al Ahbabi.

“The newly set-up UAE Space Agency will send a clear message to the world affirming our status as a space-faring nation in which the space sector is playing a major role in the country’s sustainable economic development and growth,” he said.

The investment in space technologies are being shared among several companies and space programmes including Satellite Communications Companies Yahsat, Thuraya and the Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST) who lead the DubaiSAT 1 and 2 programmes. - TradeArabia News Service