Nearly 500 delegates from 23 countries gathered at the first Middle East Space Conference in Muscat, Oman from Jan. 8-10, 2024. The event was hosted by the Oman Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology (MTCIT) and Euroconsult in partnership with Arabsat, NASCOM, Omantel, Ooredoo, Space Communication Technologies and Vodafone. (Source: Euroconsult)
- Ambition: Government, academic and private sector players expressed their willingness to invest and grow the national and regional space sectors, with ambitious investment and deployment plans.
- Cooperation: Space stakeholders, ranging from space agencies to industrial primes, reiterated the importance of cooperation and collaboration. Cooperation ranges from multinational joint ventures for satellite manufacturing in Oman to multilateral satellite projects, such as the UAE-led 813 Satellite to provide hyperspectral observations over all Arab Space Collaboration Group countries.
- Capacity-building: One of the main identified challenges to overcome was increasing the skills of the space workforce in the Middle East. Industry, academia and governments are rolling out plans to build and attract world-class talent and capabilities to build the local space ecosystem.
- Dynamic ecosystem: Multiple new projects and initiatives were announced, including the establishment of a spaceport in Oman, a satellite manufacturing joint venture, a key investment MoU between Omantel and NASCOM, and more.
- Investment: Underpinning a successful space sector is sustained investment, both by governments as well as private capital. Governments reaffirmed their commitment to help the space sector in the Middle East continue on its strong growth trajectory via investments and other support mechanisms.
About the Author:
Simon Seminari is a principal advisor at Euroconsult. Simon leads the analysis of government space policies and programs, with a focus on space program management, public policy assessment and socio-economic impact assessments. Simon has overall responsibility for Euroconsult’s consulting missions for government and institutional clients.
Explore More:
Podcast: The Opportunities, Challenges and Future of the Middle East Space Sector
So You Want to Be a Space Startup: Regional Initiatives for Entrepreneurs
Exploring the MENA Space Sector’s Dynamic Investment Landscape
Euroconsult: 5 Takeaways from World Satellite Business Week 2023
