The U.S. Mission to the U.A.E. and the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council hosted a luncheon showcasing U.S.-U.A.E. bilateral partnerships in the space sector on Thursday, September 12, 2024, at the Ritz Carlton Hotel DIFC in Dubai. This discussion brought together the U.A.E. Astronaut and Minister of Youth H.E. Dr. Sultan Al Neyadi, Director General of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) H.E. Salem Humaid Al Marri, the U.S. Ambassador to the U.A.E. Martina Strong, the Deputy Director General of the U.A.E. Space Agency H.E. Ibrahim Hamza Al Qasim, representatives from the aerospace industry, and STEM students to celebrate achievements and discuss avenues of future collaboration in the exploration of space. 

The Honorable Martina Strong, U.S. Ambassador to the U.A.E., lauded the ongoing partnership between the United States and the U.A.E. in the space sector. She spoke of her recent visit to MBRSC and cited ongoing projects being undertaken as opportunities for U.S. industry to collaborate with the U.A.E. Ambassador Strong praised the U.A.E.’s role in the Artemis Accords, of which the U.A.E. is a founding signatory, and the the U.A.E.’s partnership with NASA on the Gateway Project. She commended organizations such as the Endeavor Scholarship Foundation and the U.A.E. Solar Space youth intiative, for inspiring students to pursue STEM education and careers in space, and empowering future generations of Emirati and American youth.

H.E. Dr. Sultan Al Neyadi, U.A.E. Astronaut and Minister of Youth, and Dr. Tom Marshburn, retired NASA Astronaut and now Chief Astronaut and Vice President – Human Factors Engineering at Sierra Space, engaged in a conversation with students from the Al Worden Endeavor Scholarship Foundation and the U.A.E. Solar Space youth initiative and offered  advice regarding education, training and career goals. They elaborated on the importance of partnership and collaboration, particularly when working with astronauts and experts from various countries on international space missions. They recounted their experience  working together on board the International Space Station, and outlined future space exploration collaboration between the United States and the U.A.E. 

H.E. Salem Humaid Al Marri, Director General of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), spoke about MBRSC’s current projects, including the Airlock for the Lunar Gateway Space Station, their satellite program, their astronaut training program, and future manned space missions. H.E. Al Marri highlighted MBRSC’s commitment to cooperation and knowledge sharing with the United States in future space exploration missions and education. He cited opportunities for industry collaboration and encouraged industry to work with and propose partnership opportunities for MBRSC.

The event concluded with a panel discussion providing industry perspective on the U.S.-U.A.E. bilateral space relationship. Mike Gold, Chief Growth Officer at Redwire Space, spoke about the importance of the U.A.E.’s role as a founding member of the Artemis Accords and the ways in which industry benefits from establishing norms of behavior in space. Rod Drury, Vice President – Global Business at Lockheed Martin Space, discussed opportunities for U.S. industry to be a true partner to the U.A.E. to meet mutual goals in space exploration by helping it build its space ecosystem and the growth of Lockheed Martin’s internship program, which has graduated 200 Emirati students over seven years. Karim Sabbagh, Managing Director of Space42, outlined Space42’s goals and ambitions in space and how Space42 is focusing on the next frontier of deploying technology and AI in space, which will have a remarkable impact for societies on Earth. Each of the panelists concluded by sharing their hopes for ongoing U.S.-U.A.E. bilateral space sector collaboration and ideas for continued industry cooperation.

For questions about this event and the Business Council’s work in the space sector, please contact Amira Siddiqi at asiddiqi@usuaebusiness.org.