The UAE Space Agency highlighted its commitment to the use of outer space for peaceful purposes in the ongoing United Nations meetings with the Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) in Vienna, Austria.

An official UAE government delegation was led by Dr Mohammed Al Ahbabi, director general of the UAE Space Agency and a number of senior Agency officials.

Dr Al Ahbabi said during a speech that the UAE is seeking through this participation to develop its capabilities in the space sector and supplement the global space sector with knowledge and expertise. This comes as part of the UAE’s commitment to closer ties of cooperation at the regional and international level towards promoting the use of outer space for peaceful purposes.

He confirmed that the pursuit of the UAE towards global representation in the space sector comes as a natural step considering the efforts made by the nation across the past three decades, which have been led by the guidance and commitment of its leadership. He explained that this has been achieved through a series of specialized global projects by satellite communications entities, data transmission services, broadcasting TV across space and mobile communications.

Dr Al Ahbabi mentioned the ambitious Hope Probe mission to explore Mars, which will be the first of the UAE Space Agency’s projects in terms of oversight and funding, and will be led by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center.

Through this project, the UAE will play a full role in supporting human efforts in discovering the secrets of the Red Planet for future development and to make the UAE amongst the most innovative countries in the world.

The director general added that the UAE is investing in the space sector through a series of national companies that represent the nation globally. The UAE Space Agency as an official representative of the state in the space sector must now work towards promoting the future role of the UAE in the sector, which now sits today at the heart of the nation’s strategic priorities.

Dr Al Ahbabi highlighted that the UAE is keen to build international relations through cooperation and participation at specialised international events within the sector. It will be achieved through working together with developed countries that have extensive experience in the sector in order to reach the goal of harnessing space science for peaceful use through international cooperation and the advancement of the economies of nations.

The UAE has signed seven MoUs focused on space exploration and peaceful use. The nation has become a centre for a range of summits, conferences and activities across all levels within the growing and vibrant space industry.

COPUOS has 77 members including ten Arabic nations according to official data released by the committee in 2014. – TradeArabia News Service