State sovereignty crucial to space race, says UAE Space Agency chief
Nations must prioritise sovereignty and private-sector integration as they invest in space infrastructure, the UAE Space Agency chairman has said. Dr Ahmad Al Falasi, Minister of Sports, who also heads the space agency, was speaking at an international space summit in Paris , in which leaders integrated geopolitics into their assessment of the industry's future. “We're all busy delivering space…
The UAE Space Agency's chairman, Dr Ahmad Al Falasi, emphasized the importance of state sovereignty and the integration of private-sector efforts as nations invest in space infrastructure. Speaking at an international space summit in Paris, Dr Al Falasi stated that while nations are busy delivering space missions and projects, they must consider how geopolitics influences their projects.
He noted that space is uncertain but the addition of geopolitics and locally driven decisions further complicates matters. The UAE has developed its space infrastructure over the past few decades by balancing sovereignty and autonomy, often partnering with international entities such as Europe, China, the US, and Israel. At the summit, UAE-based investor company Marlan Space announced a $1 billion investment in developing AI-powered satellites, describing the project as the world's largest artificial intelligence satellite infrastructure.
The UAE's strategy is not only to develop its sovereign space sector but also to triple the revenue of the commercial space industry within the next five years, aiming for agile and interoperable infrastructure. World leaders, including Finnish President Alexander Stubb, US astronaut Neil Armstrong's generation inspired by exploration, recognized space's role in global security.
Stubb emphasized the need to contain competition among nations and foster cooperation. US tech mogul Elon Musk was urged by Stubb to allow Ukraine to use Starlink to target Russian ballistic missile launch pads during the ongoing conflict. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed €131 billion for defence, security, and space, highlighting the importance of financing technology for future competitiveness.
French President Emmanuel Macron described Europe's space sector as fragile but a major player. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, representing Chancellor Friedrich Merz, discussed boosting Europe's secure internet constellation. The summit aimed to stress that heightened awareness of risk should not lead to protectionism, with leaders advocating for cooperation and building bridges with the US and other nations.
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