Manamah: Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi said that the Kingdom of Bahrain’s hosting of the International Space Forum-GCC Chapter 2024 (ISF 2024) comes amid rapid development and increasing interest in the space sector in the GCC countries, and as this field is witnessing rapid growth in innovation and development of space services and applications.
His remarks came during the secretary-general’s participation in the sixth edition of the ISF, which is being held for the first time in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region at the ministerial level, under the theme ‘Space as a Game-Changer in Diplomacy and Economic Development in the Region,’ hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain, in Manama.
Albudaiwi stated that space exploration has received significant attention from countries and commercial institutions, as global investments in space exploration have reached approximately USD 272 billion since 2013. He noted that the GCC countries have worked for decades to enha
nce their capabilities in this field and have established national space agencies and entities. They also launched specialized academic and training programs and encouraged innovation and scientific research, he said, noting the value of the space economy in the GCC countries is estimated to be more than USD 10 billion, spread across various sectors.
The secretary-general said that the GCC countries aim to increase investment in the space sector and attract global expertise and leadership to achieve their ambitious national plans.
He recalled some of the milestones achieved by the GCC countries, including the United Arab Emirates’ launch of the Hope Probe in 2020 in partnership with the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre and several international entities, the Kingdom of Bahrain’s launch of a project to study and reduce carbon emissions in cooperation with the United Kingdom, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s completion of the mission of sending two astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) to conduct s
cientific experiments in cooperation with NASA, the Sultanate of Oman’s launch of a scientific launch platform project into space, the State of Qatar’s signing of a project with NASA to design and launch a climate research satellite, and the State of Kuwait’s participation with NASA’s SMAP satellite project team.
Albudaiwi expressed pride and appreciation during his speech for the achievements of the astronauts in the GCC countries, including Hazza Al Mansoori and Sultan Al Neyadi from the United Arab Emirates, who made great contributions through their missions to the ISS. He praised Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al Qarni from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for their recent mission to the ISS, which demonstrated the region’s commitment to space exploration and scientific research. Albudaiwi also recalled the distinguished achievement of the first astronaut from the GCC countries, His Royal Highness Prince Sultan bin Salman Al Saud, whose historic flight in 1985 remains an inspiration for current and upcoming Gulf g
enerations.
The secretary-general concluded his speech by emphasizing the importance of seizing the opportunities available in light of the rapid changes taking place in the space sector by exchanging experiences, unifying visions and policies, and overcoming challenges to turn them into opportunities that benefit the GCC countries, their peoples, and future generations.
Source: Saudi Press Agency