Today's Edition
MAYS IBRAHIM (ABU DHABI)
The UAE emerged as the Middle East's main space hub in 2025 as regional programmes shifted from ambition to sustained execution, a recent report found.
This assessment is laid out in the Middle East Space Economy 2025 Review and 2026 Outlook by Beyond Earth Ventures.
The report links the transition to a growing pipeline of launches, onshore satellite manufacturing, and longer-horizon exploration missions.
"The first half of 2025 reveals a clear transition in the UAE's space ambitions – from one-off demonstration missions to the systematic creation of a full-cycle industrial base. The country is no longer positioning itself merely as a participant but as a builder of the entire value chain," it stated.
In January 2025, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre launched the MBZ-SAT, its most advanced Earth-observation satellite, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9. The satellite reached full operational status within hours.
In March 2025, the country also deployed Etihad-SAT, a synthetic aperture radar satellite developed in partnership with South Korea.
Combined, the satellites' optical and radar systems expanded the country's Earth-monitoring capabilities for climate research, urban planning and security. Two national satellite launches within eight weeks was unprecedented for the region, the report said.
A central development in 2025 was the UAE's move into satellite manufacturing. In February 2025, Space42 announced that partial satellite production would begin during the year, with full-scale manufacturing scheduled for 2026.
Facilities in Abu Dhabi will support the assembly of modules, prototypes, and complete satellites, creating the Middle East's first end-to-end Earth-observation satellite manufacturing hub, according to the review.
The UAE also advanced long-term exploration initiatives. The Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt completed final design reviews in early 2025 and is targeting a 2028 launch, with the MBR Explorer spacecraft set to study multiple asteroids.
On the Moon, the UAE signed a contract with a European contractor to deliver an airlock module for NASA's Lunar Gateway. The country also confirmed plans to place an Emirati astronaut on the lunar surface within the next decade.
In parallel, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, announced Rashid Rover 2, scheduled for launch in 2026 aboard a US rocket, with the aim of landing on the far side of the Moon.
In mid-2025, the UAE announced a national rocket development programme with Aspire Space and Dubai-based Leap 71 to develop a two-stage reusable launch vehicle capable of carrying up to 15 tonnes to low-Earth orbit, with a first flight targeted for 2030.
The review also highlights early testing of 3D-printed rocket engines in Dubai and the unveiling of Altair, an AI-guided satellite constellation by startup Orbitworks designed for autonomous navigation and decision-making in orbit.
In satellite communications, Space42 signed an agreement with Denmark's Gatehouse Satcom to develop standardised satellite connectivity for smartphones. The company also inaugurated the Middle East's first High-Altitude Platform Stations in Abu Dhabi, using stratospheric platforms to extend telecom coverage beyond ground networks.
Human spaceflight remained central to public engagement. Astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi, Minister of State for Youth Affairs, continued outreach efforts following his 2023 International Space Station (ISS) mission, which included the first Arab spacewalk.
The UAE also expanded space-based biomedical research. In April 2025, researchers led by Burjeel Medical City announced a diabetes study designed for microgravity conditions aboard the ISS, launched on Axiom Mission 4 in June.
The UAE's integrated cluster approach in the space sector marks a first in the MENA region, according to the report.
"It is evolving into a high-value industrial sector, tied to long-term economic diversification, technological competitiveness, and export potential," the report said.
"By embedding innovation and partnerships into its model, the UAE is positioning itself not only for national sovereignty in space but also as a credible supplier and convener within the global space economy."
The UAE's space strategy is unfolding alongside a wider regional acceleration in artificial intelligence and deep-tech investment.
In the MENA, activity in AI and deep-tech accounted for more than 80% of disclosed venture funding in 2025, with investments largely driven by sovereign-backed funds in the Gulf, according to the report.
