China and UAE team up to build Abu Dhabi space tech centre

Scientists and engineers at the R&D facility will work on remote-sensing satellites, advanced telescopes and exploration missions

Space is a growing area of focus for the Middle Eastern country as it rebrands from a major oil producer to a technology hub

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Illustration of the interior of the new facility in the UAE. Photo: Handout

Published: 10:30pm, 16 Mar 2023Updated: 12:19am, 17 Mar 2023

China plans to build a new facility in the Middle East to help the region train talent and develop technology in the space sector.

Nanjing-based start-up Origin Space, the United Arab Emirates University’s National Space Science and Technology Centre and the University of Hong Kong’s Laboratory for Space Research signed a letter of intent in Abu Dhabi last week to build a joint research and development centre in the city.

At the new centre, researchers and engineers from China and the UAE will work together to build remote-sensing satellites and space telescopes and pursue deep space exploration missions together, said Origin Space’s founder and chief executive Su Meng.

“The UAE is an increasingly important regional leader and global player in space exploration and commercialisation. We are very excited to tap into the Middle East market from here,” Su said on Friday.

With an initial investment of 30 million yuan (US$4.3 million), the centre will be located near Khalifa Port in the China-UAE Capacity Cooperation Demonstration Park, a landmark project under the Belt and Road Initiative, China’s global infrastructure plan.

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