Opinion | For China and the Middle East, a Space Silk Road is written in the stars
Traditionally reliant on the US, Arab countries are turning to Beijing as relations with Washington sour over the Gaza humanitarian crisis
The Silk Road once connected China and the Arab world, stretching from Cordoba to Canton. The network not only fostered trade, but also cultural and intellectual exchange. Today, as humanity stands on the brink of a new age of exploration, this time of the cosmos, the stage is set to revive this historic partnership.
For Arab countries, especially the Gulf states, space exploration represents a way to diversify their economy and reinvent their image. They are investing billions in space exploration in a global space industry projected to be worth more than US$1 trillion by 2040.
This ambition is nothing new. The Arab space odyssey can be traced back to the Cold War. In 1985, a Saudi prince, flying aboard an American spacecraft, beat his Soviet-backed Syrian counterpart by two years and secured his place in history as the first Arab in space.
Yet it was the 21st century which would see Arab countries’ ambition to reach the stars really take flight. In 2023, Saudi Arabia achieved another landmark when a Saudi became the first Arab woman to visit the International Space Station (ISS). In 2020, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) made history when it became the first Arab country to reach Mars’ orbit.
Other Arab countries have also set their sights on space. Some have established space agencies while others are launching satellites into orbit or training astronauts.