SAUDI Arabia is embarking on a bold journey toward transforming the oil-rich kingdom to a global space leader as part of its national blueprint known as the vision 2030 strategy.
The Gulf nation and the U.S. signed a framework agreement for future partnerships with NASA in areas such as space science, Earth science, aeronautics, space operations, education, and exploration.
Saudi Space Agency Mohammed bin Saud Al-Tamimi signed the deal on behalf of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia while NASA Administrator Bill Nelson represented the United States.
The signing comes after Nelson visited Saudi Arabia two months ago to discuss future partnerships and civil space cooperation with the oil-rich nation.
In July 2022, Saudi Arabia signed the Artemis Accords, a multinational agreement with a common vision for safe exploration of the moon, in the hope it could offer a wealth of opportunities in the nation’s space industry and scientific research sector.
Meanwhile, Saudi Prince Sultan bin Salman became the first Muslim, the first Arab, and the first member of a royal family to fly into space during a space shuttle mission arranged by NASA in 1985.
Thirty-eight years later, Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali al-Qarni became the first Saudi astronauts to arrive at the International Space Station (ISS) in May 2023, with Barnawi hailed as the first Saudi female astronaut to venture into space.
The Saudi space sector generated USD400 million in 2022 and is expected to reach USD 2.2 billion by 2030.
Saudi Arabia is investing millions as part of its ambitious goal to make a name in the global space sector. The new era of the global Space Race saw a few nations pioneering launches of artificial satellites and robotic space probes to the Moon and beyond, with other nations striving to follow in their footsteps.
