Dubai, UAE – The total spending in the UAE’s space sector witnessed a 6.61 percent increase compared to the previous year with the government spending accounting for 55.7 percent of the total spending, marking a 12.7 percent increase year-on-year, while commercial expenditure made up 44.3 percent of the total, revealed the 2023 Space Economic Survey.
The survey highlighted a remarkable 14.8 percent rise in research and development (R&D) spending, with 76.8 percent of this dedicated to space exploration. Emirati nationals played a critical role, comprising 38.5 percent of the workforce, with a striking 59.2 percent of employees in the UAE’s space sector being Emirati youth.
In terms of beneficiaries, 54.4 percent of entities benefiting from space-related services and applications were based in the UAE, primarily in the communications sector. The survey also revealed an 83.6 percent increase in scientific publications related to the space sector.
The UAE’s commitment to the space sector is evident, with plans and initiatives in place to establish the nation as a prominent developer of space technologies and to support small and medium-sized enterprises within the sector, further enhancing the national space economy.
“The 2023 Space Economic Survey will play a significant role in evaluating our future economic opportunities, and will give us a comprehensive vision to make decisions based on scientific foundations to design future plans and strategies in an accurate, systematic and scientific manner, in addition to setting a roadmap for sustainable development,”Sarah Al Amiri, Chairperson of UAE Space Agency said. “In cooperation with our strategic partners, we aim to utilize the resources available in the national space sector, to support the UAE leadership’s ambitions to continue developing this strategic sector.”