Strategic Overview
The United Arab Emirates has built a space programme from virtually nothing to one of the most consequential national space efforts outside the traditional spacefaring powers in less than two decades. The UAE’s entry into space was not driven by Cold War competition or military imperatives but by a deliberate economic and human capital strategy: space technology serves as a forcing function for STEM education, advanced manufacturing, and the development of an engineering workforce capable of operating at the frontier of applied science.
The National Space Strategy 2030, overseen by the UAE Space Agency, frames the sector in explicitly economic terms. The strategy targets the growth of the UAE’s space economy to AED 23 billion by 2030, with investments spanning satellite manufacturing, space science, Earth observation, and commercial space services. The UAE’s institutional architecture for space is divided between the federal UAE Space Agency, which sets policy and regulatory frameworks, and the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) in Dubai, which executes the country’s most high-profile missions.
The Hope Probe: Mars Mission
The Emirates Mars Mission, centred on the Hope Probe (Al-Amal), represents the most internationally visible achievement of the UAE space programme. Launched in July 2020 and entering Mars orbit in February 2021, Hope became the first interplanetary mission conducted by an Arab nation. The probe was designed and built by Emirati engineers in partnership with the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder, Arizona State University, and the University of California, Berkeley.
Hope’s scientific mission focuses on studying the Martian atmosphere, specifically the dynamics of weather patterns, the hydrogen and oxygen escape from Mars’ upper atmosphere, and the connection between lower and upper atmospheric layers. The mission has produced data published in peer-reviewed journals and shared with the global scientific community. Beyond its scientific output, the Hope Probe served a strategic human capital objective: the development team consisted predominantly of young Emirati engineers, many of whom had no prior experience in spacecraft design. The mission was explicitly designed to build domestic capability, not simply procure a spacecraft from an established manufacturer.
Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre
MBRSC is the operational heart of the UAE’s space programme. Located in Dubai, the centre manages satellite development, mission operations, astronaut training, and space science research. MBRSC developed the DubaiSat series of Earth observation satellites and is leading the Emirates Lunar Mission, which aims to deploy the Rashid rover to the lunar surface as part of a broader strategy to build capability in robotic exploration.
The centre’s engineering teams have progressively taken on more complex projects, moving from satellite development with international partners to the autonomous design of interplanetary missions. This trajectory — from capability building to independent execution — is the foundational logic of the UAE’s space programme.
Astronaut Programme
The UAE Astronaut Programme, managed by MBRSC, has produced the country’s first cohort of trained astronauts. Hazzaa Al Mansoori became the first Emirati in space in 2019 aboard the International Space Station. Sultan Al Neyadi followed with a six-month mission to the ISS in 2023, becoming the first Arab astronaut to complete a long-duration spaceflight and conducting a spacewalk during his mission.
The astronaut programme serves multiple functions. It generates public engagement and national pride, it provides direct experience with human spaceflight operations, and it builds relationships with NASA, the European Space Agency, and other international space agencies that facilitate technology transfer and mission cooperation. The programme has announced additional astronaut selections, signalling a sustained commitment to human spaceflight participation.
Satellite Communications: Yahsat and Thuraya
The UAE’s satellite communications sector is anchored by two principal entities. Al Yah Satellite Communications Company (Yahsat), headquartered in Abu Dhabi and majority-owned by Mubadala, operates a fleet of geostationary satellites providing broadband, government, and managed communications services across the Middle East, Africa, Central and South-West Asia, and Brazil. Yahsat’s government segment serves UAE defence and security requirements, while its commercial arm provides satellite broadband to underserved regions.
Thuraya, a subsidiary of Yahsat, operates mobile satellite services providing voice and data communications to users in remote areas beyond the reach of terrestrial networks. Thuraya’s handsets and terminals are widely used in maritime, energy, humanitarian, and government sectors. Together, Yahsat and Thuraya give the UAE a commercial satellite communications capability that few countries of comparable size possess.
National Space Strategy 2030
The National Space Strategy 2030 articulates six strategic pillars: space science and exploration, satellite manufacturing, space applications and services, regulatory framework development, international cooperation, and human capital development. The strategy is designed to position the UAE not merely as a consumer of space services but as a developer, manufacturer, and exporter of space technology and data products.
Specific initiatives under the strategy include the development of a domestic small satellite manufacturing capability, the expansion of Earth observation services for agriculture, urban planning, and environmental monitoring, and the establishment of the UAE as a hub for commercial space startups and venture capital in the space technology sector.
Industry Ecosystem and Commercial Development
The UAE’s space sector extends beyond government missions. The country is cultivating a commercial space ecosystem through regulatory incentives, free zone structures, and strategic investments. The Abu Dhabi-based EDGE Group, primarily a defence conglomerate, has capabilities in unmanned systems and surveillance technologies that intersect with space applications. Several private companies and startups are emerging in areas including satellite data analytics, space debris tracking, and launch service brokerage.
The integration of space technology with other national priority sectors — particularly defence, telecommunications, environmental management, and artificial intelligence — creates demand signals that can sustain a domestic space industry beyond flagship government missions.
Outlook Under We the UAE 2031
The UAE’s space programme is designed to deliver measurable returns: trained engineers, satellite manufacturing capacity, commercial services revenue, and international scientific collaboration. The sector’s trajectory from DubaiSat to the Hope Probe to the Emirates Lunar Mission demonstrates a methodical approach to building capability through progressively complex projects. Under We the UAE 2031, space technology is positioned not as a prestige programme but as a strategic sector that catalyses talent development, drives advanced manufacturing, and generates commercial value in an increasingly space-dependent global economy.