BIG PICTURE

Since the recent successful conclusion of the longest Arab space mission in history by UAE astronaut Sultan Al-Neyadi ( pictured ), the country has consolidated its global leadership in the sector , ranking 10th globally in spacewalking missions outside . the ISS .

This sets the stage for a sector that is seeing rapid growth in the UAE , with space sector spending surging 6.61 % in 2021 , while spending on R & D was up 14.8 %, compared to the previous year , according to the Space Economic Survey 2023 .

Across the ten sub-sectors of the industry , the UAE ’ s space-related investments have surpassed US $ 6 billion , with investment in advanced technology for the space economy resulting in commercial spending worth US $ 2.9 billion by the end of 2020 .

Currently , 57 companies and space entities are operating here , while public and private sector support for the UAE space programme has exceeded US $ 5.4 billion .