UAE Space Economy Expands with 27.1% Growth in Spending to AED 5.52 Billion
The latest Space Economic Survey reveals robust expansion of the UAE's space sector, driven by substantial commercial investment and a rapidly growing workforce of Emirati talent, positioning the nation firmly on its trajectory towards becoming one of the world's leading space economies.
The UAE space economy has demonstrated remarkable expansion, with total spending reaching AED 5.52 billion in 2024, representing a 27.1% increase from the previous year. Released by the UAE Space Agency in collaboration with the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre, the 2025 Space Economic Survey showcases the sector’s burgeoning significance to the nation’s knowledge-based economy and its capacity to generate sustained economic value.
The survey reveals that commercial activity has become the predominant driver of the sector’s development, with the private sector accounting for AED 2.64 billion, or 48% of total space economy expenditure. This substantial commercial contribution, operating alongside continued government investment, underscores the sector’s appeal to investors and enterprises seeking to participate in the UAE’s expanding space ecosystem.
Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Sports and Chairman of the UAE Space Agency, emphasised that value added has outpaced spending growth by more than two to one, reflecting the sector’s deepening integration into the broader economy. The National Space Strategy 2031 establishes an ambitious target to position the UAE among the world’s ten largest space economies, with objectives including a 60% increase in economic value added and a doubling of space economy revenues.
Workforce expansion represents another significant dimension of the sector’s growth trajectory. The number of Emirati professionals employed in the space economy reached 1,495, an increase of 27.9% compared with the previous survey cycle. Particularly noteworthy is the sector’s appeal to younger professionals, with 1,333 individuals aged 15 to 35 now working in space-related roles, reflecting a 29.5% rise. Female employment in the sector has experienced particularly robust growth, increasing by 83.9% and now representing 33.5% of the total workforce, demonstrating the sector’s capacity to attract and retain diverse talent.
Conducted on an annual basis, the Space Economic Survey serves as the authoritative national reference for measuring the UAE space sector’s magnitude, performance and economic contribution. Its comprehensive scope extends across core space enterprises to organisations utilising space-derived data, capturing the full breadth of economic activity within the ecosystem.
Hanan Ahli, Managing Director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre, affirmed that reliable economic data enables informed policymaking and strategic direction. The survey’s alignment with the UAE’s Comprehensive GDP Revision Programme enhances statistical coverage and provides a more complete picture of the nation’s economic diversity and expansion across emerging sectors.
The workshop marking the survey’s release also inaugurated data collection for the 2026 Space Economic Survey, which will measure the sector’s 2025 performance, with results anticipated in October 2027. This ongoing measurement framework ensures continuous monitoring of progress towards the National Space Strategy 2031 objectives and informs strategic investment decisions by government entities, academic institutions and private-sector organisations.
Source: WAM