Mideast striving to become a space power

Mideast striving to become a space power

LONDON: The recent memorandum of understanding between the Saudi Space Commission and the UK’s Space Agency, which will see them develop a framework aimed at cooperation in the peaceful use of outer space, is the latest move in an ambitious regional space push. Among those to get out in front on this is technology supplier SpaceChain, which added to operations in the UK and Asia with the March opening of an office in Abu Dhabi. Its co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer Nick Trudgen told Arab News that the level of ambition in Saudi Arabia and the UAE was what drew the company to Abu Dhabi. “We’ve always seen huge ambition in the UAE, and last year’s Mars mission spoke to that, getting everyone’s attention,” he said. “I was in Saudi two weeks ago when the MoU with the UK was signed, and they share this level of ambition, and it’s coming from both the governments and the private sector as they look not to invest in their agencies but space itself,” he added. “We have projects in the UK and with the European Space Agency. They have more talent, more technical ability, but here (the Middle East) you feel they