UAE Space Agency forges strategic partnerships across Africa at inaugural space exposition
The UAE Space Agency has signed landmark agreements with African counterparts during the first Africa Space Expo, reinforcing the nation's commitment to advancing space capabilities across the continent.
The UAE Space Agency has deepened its continental engagement by signing two significant cooperative agreements at the inaugural Africa Space Expo in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Led by Eng. Salem Butti Al Qubaisi, Director General of the UAE Space Agency, the delegation advanced the nation’s vision of positioning itself amongst the world’s leading space economies by the end of the decade.
The first agreement establishes a Memorandum of Understanding on peaceful space activities with the African Space Agency, whilst the second takes the form of a Letter of Intent with Angola’s National Space Program Management Office. These accords represent a tangible commitment to translating dialogue into meaningful collaborative delivery across the African continent.
The agreements address priority domains including space science and applications, Earth observation and satellite data relating to climate action, disaster management and food security. Additional focuses encompass policy development, regulatory frameworks, talent cultivation and fostering innovation partnerships between African and UAE-based startups. A joint action plan will be developed to crystallize these strategic priorities into concrete activities.
Eng. Al Qubaisi emphasised that space technologies deliver greatest value when applied to practical earthbound challenges. The UAE’s involvement reflects its belief that Africa’s development priorities—protecting agricultural yields, managing water resources, enhancing disaster response and supporting urban planning—increasingly depend upon sophisticated space applications. The bilateral partnerships secured position the UAE as a long-term strategic partner in this transformative work.
Beyond the formal agreements, Eng. Al Qubaisi held extensive bilateral discussions with the leadership of African space institutions, encompassing Nigeria’s National Space Research and Development Agency, Senegal’s Agency for Space Studies, Mozambique’s National Agency for Geospatial Development and others. These conversations explored collaborative pathways in Earth observation, disaster response, satellite data integration with artificial intelligence, small-satellite development and capacity strengthening.
The expansion of space partnerships reflects a pillar of the UAE’s National Space Strategy 2031, which seeks to amplify global market access and international alliances. The Strategy establishes ambitious targets: positioning the sector amongst the world’s ten leading space economies, increasing sector value-added by 60 per cent, doubling revenues and investment in space infrastructure, and substantially expanding the national companies and startup ecosystem.
The inaugural Africa Space Expo brought together governments, space agencies, industry representatives, investors and researchers united by a shared objective: channelling space technologies towards addressing Africa’s most pressing development challenges. Organised by the African Space Agency and the Government of Côte d’Ivoire through its national space agency, the exposition exemplified the collaborative potential inherent in continental space governance.
Source: WAM News Agency