- UAE participation aimed to advance responsible space activity, cement international partnerships and drive development of a globally competitive national space economy
UAE, September 2026: H.E. Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Sports and Chairman of the UAE Space Agency, has led the UAE delegation participating in the inaugural International Space Summit 2026, held in Paris, France, on 9 and 10 September.
The first edition of the Summit – intended to foster a shared dialogue on shaping a space sector capable of meeting today’s scientific, technological, economic and environmental challenges – brought together delegations and representatives from a wide range of countries and backgrounds, including heads of state and government, international and regional organisations, scientists, astronauts and leaders of private sector entities.
H.E. Dr. Al Falasi said: “The global space sector is entering a new phase, with its impact extending far beyond exploration to shape economies, advance science and technology and create new opportunities for humanity. For the UAE, our ambition is to build a competitive, innovative and globally connected space sector that develops national capabilities and translates progress in space into lasting economic, scientific and societal value.”
“International cooperation is fundamental to achieving this ambition. Through strong partnerships with countries and institutions around the world, including our longstanding strategic partnership with France, we are expanding opportunities for scientific collaboration, technology development, investment and knowledge exchange. At the same time, as activity in space continues to grow, we have a shared responsibility to ensure its safe, sustainable and responsible use for generations to come,” H.E. Dr. Al Falasi added.
UAE priorities at the Summit:
Four principal themes were addressed at the Summit: space sustainability and security; the space economy; exploration and science; and international governance, with the aim of strengthening multilateral cooperation and addressing key issues relating to the sector.
The UAE’s participation reflected the ambitions of the National Space Strategy 2031 and its objective to build a globally competitive, economically productive national space sector. The Strategy, which seeks to increase the space economy’s value added by 60%, double its revenues and investment in space infrastructure and increase the number of national and startup companies, was designed to position the UAE among the world’s top 10 space economies by 2031.
At the Summit, the UAE focused on elements key to achieving these ambitions: responsible international frameworks, scientific and commercial partnerships, private-sector participation, advanced infrastructure and development of national talent. Speaking at the event, H.E. Dr. Al Falasi set out the UAE’s priorities for responsible space activity and shared the nation’s commitment to the continued development of international partnerships – including the longstanding alliance between the UAE and France.
H.E. Dr. Al Falasi also participated in the high-level panel, ‘Visions for the Space Infrastructure(s) of the Future’, alongside H.E. Alexander Stubb, President of Finland; H.E. Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of Greece; H.E. Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of Armenia; and Jonathan Reynolds, UK Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Science. Discussions focused on the shifting needs reshaping the space sector, how advanced infrastructure can support economic growth and innovation and the importance of strengthening the sector’s resilience to keep pace with the rapid expansion of space activities. H.E. Dr. Al Falasi highlighted how the UAE is investing in technology and national capabilities, empowering the private sector, creating an environment that attracts investment and turning innovation into new economic and development opportunities.
Advancing international partnerships:
H.E. Dr. Al Falasi held a series of bilateral meetings with senior representatives from the space sector, including Philippe Baptiste, France’s Minister of Higher Education, Research and Space; François Jacq, Chairman and CEO of Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES); Josef Aschbacher, Director General of the European Space Agency; and Taeseog Oh, Administrator of the Korea AeroSpace Administration.
Discussions focused on a range of pertinent topics such as space science, exploration, technology, commercialisation and talent development.
The delegation’s interaction with French counterparts consolidated the two countries’ longstanding relationship, formalised by an agreement signed between the UAE Space Agency and CNES in 2015, reaffirming the UAE-France space partnership as a model for pragmatic, mission-driven international cooperation. The partnership has since developed into robust scientific and industrial collaboration across several facets of the space sector, including lunar exploration, Earth observation and climate action, satellite manufacturing and testing, propulsion, optical communications, space life sciences and workforce development.
A notable recent development was the announcement, in the presence of Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, that Marlan Space – the UAE-based investor and operator in space technology and a subsidiary of IHC – and Loft Orbital will lead a consortium investing US$1 billion in France to build Altair-Next Gen, the world’s largest artificial intelligence (AI) satellite infrastructure.
Representing the UAE’s national space ecosystem:
Alongside H.E. Dr. Al Falasi, the UAE delegation included H.E. Dr. Sultan Alneyadi, Minister of State for Youth Affairs; representatives from the UAE Space Agency, Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, National Space Science and Technology Center, FADA, the Technology Innovation Institute and Orbitworks also attended, reflecting the strength and integration of the UAE’s national space ecosystem.
