UAE reaffirms commitment to international cooperation, space sustainability at UN

The UAE has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening international cooperation in the peaceful and sustainable use of outer space, highlighting its leading role in advancing global efforts to ensure the safety and sustainability of space activities.

The statement was delivered by Ibrahim Al Qassim, Deputy Director General of the UAE Space Agency and head of the UAE delegation, during the Fourth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly at its 81st session in New York, under the agenda item “International cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space”.

Al Qassim highlighted the UAE’s role in establishing and chairing the Expert Group on Space Situational Awareness under the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).

Established in 2025 with a mandate extending to 2028, the group seeks to strengthen international coordination and address growing risks from space debris and increasingly congested Earth orbits.

Al Qassim stressed that international cooperation was essential to maintaining a safe and sustainable orbital environment amid rapidly expanding space activities and growing participation by countries and companies.

He described such cooperation as a shared responsibility and strategic priority supporting the UAE’s ambitions to develop an advanced national space sector and strengthen its contribution to the global space economy.

He said the UAE would continue working through COPUOS and with international partners to develop practical solutions for responsible space use, stronger coordination and sustainable access to space for future generations.

The expert group’s work draws on contributions from 96 experts across 40 countries, briefings by 18 UN Member States and written submissions from Member States and permanent observers.

It is drafting two recommendations: one to establish designated points of contact for satellite operators, including round-the-clock coordination channels, and another to improve the exchange of orbital information and spacecraft characteristics data to assess and mitigate collision risks.

The UAE also reaffirmed its commitment to international space treaties and agreements and to developing national legislation and regulations supporting safe and sustainable space activities while encouraging greater private-sector participation.

Al Qassim reviewed progress under the National Space Strategy 2031, including continued investment in scientific exploration, national talent development and a competitive, knowledge-based space economy driven by innovation.

He highlighted the unveiling this year of the lander for the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt (EMA), developed, assembled and tested in the UAE. The lander is scheduled to launch aboard the MBR Explorer in 2028 on a journey of approximately five billion kilometres to explore seven asteroids.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre is also preparing the Rashid 2 mission to explore the far side of the Moon, while the Emirates Mars Mission’s Hope Probe has been extended until 2028 to maximise its scientific contribution and advance global knowledge of Mars.

Highlighting private-sector progress, Al Qassim cited Orbitworks’ successful launch of Altair-1 in October 2026, the first commercially manufactured satellite in the UAE and the first of a planned constellation of ten AI-enabled Earth observation satellites.

He also reviewed the UAE’s presidency of the International Charter: Space and Major Disasters from April to October 2026, during which the country worked with national entities and international partners to provide satellite imagery and geospatial data supporting responses to floods, earthquakes, wildfires and other natural disasters.

The UAE concluded by reaffirming that protecting the space environment is a shared global responsibility requiring sustained international cooperation to preserve the benefits of space exploration and technology for future generations.