Indian Space Research Organization announced on Friday that India is working on new space collaborations with Saudi Arabia, primarily centered around downstream applications and satellite manufacturing.
In 2010, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology signed an agreement with India’s space agency, ISRO, to foster cooperation between the two countries. Since 2018, when the Saudi Space Commission was established, interest has grown in expanding the collaboration, and Dr. Mohammed Al-Tamimi, the commission’s chief executive officer, was just in India last week.
Al-Tamimi met with ISRO officials and representatives of the industry, and he also visited research centers, all with the goal of strengthening “joint cooperation between the two countries in the future of the space sector,” as he tweeted upon his return.
The ISRO said in a statement to Arab News that negotiations are underway for a new space cooperation MoU with expanded areas of cooperation.
India is willing to share its wealth of knowledge in the space industry with Saudi Arabia, particularly in the areas of interest highlighted by the Saudi side, such as downstream applications, satellite manufacturing, and academic cooperation.
In the near future, we can expect to see more progress made, as Al-Tamimi is scheduled to attend the G20 Space Economy Leaders Meeting in Bengaluru, India, this coming July, as part of India’s 2023 presidency of the Group of 20 largest economies.
The Saudi Arabian government has invited ISRO representatives to attend the Space Economy Forum scheduled for the year’s end.
India has participated in the international space market since the 1960s, and after a regulatory overhaul in 2020 that encouraged private participation and investment, the country hopes to increase its share to nearly $13 billion by 2025.
The Indian Space Association, which will help private companies and startups in the space industry get off the ground by connecting them with government agencies, is eager to work with Saudi firms to achieve this goal by 2020. The director general of ISpA, retired Lt. Gen. Anil Kumar Bhatt, told Arab News that the organization was always working to increase international collaboration with the private space industry.
We welcome the chance to work with the Saudi Space Commission and learn more about how our members can connect with private space firms in Saudi Arabia.
