Saudi Arabia’s ambitious space program provides foretaste of exciting collaborations to come

Col. Chris Hadfield believes investment in space technologies also provides societies with a sense of optimism and raises public aspirations. (Supplied)
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Updated 23 January 2022
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Saudi Arabia’s ambitious space program provides foretaste of exciting collaborations to come

  • The Saudi Space Commission was launched in Dec. 2018 under the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 reform agenda
  • The state-funded body has struck cooperation agreements with the European Space Agency, UK, France and Hungary

JEDDAH: More than half a century ago, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first people to set foot on the surface of the moon. Since this historic milestone, governments, scientists and now entrepreneurs have set their sights on more distant and ambitious goals.

From Jeff Bezos’ forays into space tourism with Blue Origin and Elon Musk’s dream of establishing colonies on Mars to NASA’s launch of the James Webb Space Telescope and the UAE’s Hope probe mission to Mars, space, it seems, is once again all the rage.

The Apollo astronauts’ momentous moonwalk of July 20, 1969, marked the culmination of more than a decade of breakneck scientific advance, fueled by the fierce Cold War-era contest between the US and the Soviet Union known as the “space race.”

Decades later, and with the benefits of vastly superior technologies, private sector finance, and a global profusion of scientific and engineering talent, a new space race led by the world’s emerging economies and wealthiest individuals is now underway.
 




Saudi Arabia is well placed to capitalize on falling costs of launching rockets, advances in technology, and a growing public interest in space exploration. (Supplied)

A recent entrant in this new space race is the Saudi Space Commission, or SSC, launched three years ago by royal decree — its mission: To accelerate economic diversification, enhance research and development, and raise private sector participation in the global space industry.

Since its launch in December 2018, the Kingdom’s state-funded space program has struck deals with the European Space Agency, the UK, France, and Hungary to further cooperation.

The agency has also signed agreements with aerospace giant Airbus, joined the International Astronautical Federation, and launched illustrious scholarship programs to allow Saudi students to attend the world’s best universities offering courses in space sciences and aerospace engineering.

Although its space agency is relatively new, the Kingdom has a long history of involvement in satellite technology, much of it emanating from the King Abdul Aziz City of Science and Technology in Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia also played a key role in the Arab League’s formation of Arabsat, a satellite communications company, which launched its first satellite in 1985.

“The beauty is that you’re not starting from zero,” Col. Chris Hadfield, retired Canadian astronaut and former commander of the International Space Station, told Arab News in an exclusive interview.

“Even NASA, when they were formed in the late 1950s, they weren’t starting from zero. NACA, which was the predecessor to NASA, had been around since the 1920s, when the government recognized that aeronautics was coming.”
 




In Col. Chris Hadfield’s view, the SSC should now set out to clearly define its goals for the future of Saudi space exploration. (SPA)

Hadfield is well known for his hugely popular video segments depicting life aboard the ISS, which famously included a zero-gravity guitar rendition of David Bowie’s "Space Oddity."

A heavily decorated astronaut, engineer and pilot, his many awards include the Order of Canada, the Meritorious Service Cross and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal. He was also named the top test pilot in both the US Air Force and the US Navy, and was inducted into Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame.

Hadfield has flown three space missions, building two space stations, performing two spacewalks, crewing the Shuttle and Soyuz, and commanding the ISS.

Now retired, he is an adjunct professor at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, an adviser to SpaceX and Virgin Galactic, board chair of the Open Lunar Foundation, and the author of three international bestsellers. His TED talk on fear has been watched 11 million times.

In Hadfield’s view, the SSC should now set out to clearly define its goals for the future of Saudi space exploration.

“The real key is to have a clear purpose for what the space agency is trying to accomplish, aims that are in line with serving the people of Saudi in the short and long term,” he said.

The ISS remains a potent symbol of human fraternity as well as the huge technological and scientific possibilities on offer when societies work toward a common end.

The space station’s history began on July 17, 1975, when Russian cosmonaut Alexei Leonov and American astronaut Deke Slayton shook hands in microgravity, having docked their spacecraft high above the French city of Metz.
 




Col. Chris Hadfield said it is this kind of human fraternity, together with an enduring sense of duty, that will empower further innovations and new milestones in space exploration. (Supplied)

The handshake was the byproduct of a 1972 agreement between the two nations to cooperate on the Apollo-Soyuz Test project. The US built a docking module for the Apollo shuttle that was compatible with the Soviet docking system to allow a flawless rendezvous.

Their meeting became a powerful symbol of unity, which paved the way for the joint Shuttle-Mir program and later the ISS itself.

Building a space agency is no easy feat. As a multidisciplinary domain, the industry demands a wide range of skills and expertise. Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in the sector and already has several achievements to its name.

In February 2019, the Kingdom launched its first domestically developed communications satellite — SGS-1 — from the Guiana Space Center. The launch was the result of a partnership between KACST and US aerospace giant Lockheed Martin.

In 2020, Saudi Arabia announced plans to invest $2.1 billion in the space program as part of its Vision 2030 reform agenda, the Kingdom’s long-term plan to diversify its economy away from oil and embrace a wide array of next-generation industries.
 




Prince Sultan bin Salman (closest to the camera) is the first Arab, Muslim and royal in space. (Supplied)

“In the time we live in now, space is becoming a fundamental sector of the global economy, touching every aspect of our lives on Earth,” Prince Sultan bin Salman, the first Arab, Muslim and royal in space, said at the time.

“Space business and the space economy are expected to grow into the trillions of riyals as we go forward. We believe there are a lot of opportunities that exist in the space sector and we, in Saudi Arabia, intend to tap these opportunities at all levels.”

In order to excel in space, the Kingdom will need an army of technical specialists in areas as diverse as cybersecurity, avionics and robotics, together with experts in propulsion, machine learning and artificial intelligence.

“If you look right across the world’s governments, there’s some subset that is working in the areas that are naturally space related, like telecommunications, atmospheric physics, weather forecasting or the military side of threats; there’s always the high ground advantage,” Hadfield told Arab News, highlighting the benefits of building a domestic space industry.

“It’s scientific in just trying to understand the Earth better. If you can go around (Earth) 16 times a day, if you can set a geostationary satellite that is looking at the whole (Arabian) peninsula, that whole part of the world, there is a huge amount of information to be gathered that is really difficult to gather from the surface.

“Then there is the technological development side. If you’re going to challenge yourself to build a satellite or build rocket ships or train people to fly to space or be part of the space station, start setting up a permanent human habitation on the moon, that’s a big technological challenge and that is good for the country from the academic side right through to the manufacturing side.”

But more than the obvious economic, scientific and strategic benefits, Hadfield believes investment in space technologies also provides societies with a sense of optimism and raises public aspirations.
 




Hadfield believes investment in space technologies also provides societies with a sense of optimism and raises public aspirations. (Supplied)

“Apart from the scientific research and the technical development, it is raising people’s eyes beyond the horizon,” he said.

“Space exploration has a significant role in inspiring people to visualize a different future, to attempt things with their own lives, to train themselves to gain a new set of skills and turn themselves into somebody different in pursuit of being an astronaut that otherwise they might never have done with themselves. That, to me, that’s an important component.”

Saudi Arabia is well placed to capitalize on falling costs of launching rockets, advances in technology, and a growing public interest in space exploration. Its willingness to work with other space agencies is also a foretaste of exciting collaborations to come.

Reflecting on his own career in space, Hadfield said it is this kind of human fraternity, together with an enduring sense of duty, that will empower further innovations and new milestones in space exploration.

“It’s a life of service,” he said. “Service to agency, service to country and service to others.”

 

When a Saudi went to space
Prince Sultan bin Salman speaks exclusively to Arab News about his 1985 NASA mission and how he became the first Arab, Muslim and royal in space

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Grand Mosque Library launches new Hajj initiatives

The library houses a vast collection of religious texts, rare manuscripts, and resources in multiple languages across various fi
Updated 07 May 2025
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Grand Mosque Library launches new Hajj initiatives

MAKKAH: The Presidency of Religious Affairs at the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque has launched initiatives to enhance the pilgrim experience during Hajj at the Grand Mosque Library, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday. 

The library, one of the most significant in the Islamic world, houses a vast collection of religious texts, rare manuscripts, and resources in multiple languages across various fields of knowledge. 

Sheikh Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, head of the presidency, highlighted that the library was a cultural and educational platform for spreading religious knowledge, promoting Islamic culture, and fostering moderate thought globally. 

It remains a valuable resource for both students of knowledge and visitors to the two holy mosques, Al-Sudais said.

“The presidency is committed to advancing the library’s scientific and intellectual mission during Hajj and sharing it worldwide,” he added. 

The presidency has begun expanding the library’s role in scientific, intellectual and cultural areas during Hajj, with specialized programs and initiatives designed to serve visitors and researchers.


New land restoration guide to unify afforestation efforts

Updated 07 May 2025
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New land restoration guide to unify afforestation efforts

  • National Center for Vegetation Cover publishes official Land Restoration Guide for Non-Agricultural Areas
  • It supports goal of planting 10 billion trees, the equivalent of rehabilitating 40m hectares of degraded land

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has taken another step toward its ambitious afforestation goals with the publication of the official Land Restoration Guide for Non-Agricultural Areas.

The guide is a comprehensive manual that will serve as a unified reference to direct environmental restoration projects across the Kingdom.

It aims to ensure sustainable land management practices and support the goals of the Saudi Green Initiative, one of which is to plant 10 billion trees — the equivalent of rehabilitating 40 million hectares of degraded land.

The National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification announced its publication on Wednesday with an event titled “The Road to Restoring 40 Million Hectares.”

Organized under the national afforestation program, the event brought together a range of experts to align on best practices and scientific approaches to land rehabilitation.

Sameer Maleakah, director of the center’s afforestation department, highlighted the Kingdom’s ambitious environmental restoration goals.

“So far, we’ve restored over 313,000 hectares across various regions of the Kingdom,” Maleakah told Arab News. “But it’s not just about planting. Restoration begins with protecting the degraded areas — those affected by overgrazing, illegal logging, or desertification caused by human activities.

“We return these areas to their natural state, and once restored, they foster biodiversity, richer vegetation and denser tree cover. These sites then serve as natural parks or forests — whether mountainous or valley-based,” he added.

Maleakah also highlighted the importance of inclusive action. “It’s crucial to involve local communities, civil society organizations and take full advantage of existing legislation, rainfall and cloud-seeding technologies to ensure success.”

The center’s CEO, Dr. Khalid Al-Abdulkader, echoed the importance of the program in his opening remarks, saying that land restoration is not only vital for environmental sustainability, but also plays a major role in food security, combating climate change and supporting rural livelihoods.

With more than 141 million trees planted to date and restoration efforts underway using rainfall and treated water, the center continues to position the afforestation program as a long-term investment in Saudi Arabia’s ecological and developmental future.


Saudi Museums Commission, German Heritage Foundation launch program to deepen collaboration

Saudi Arabia's culture. (File/AFP)
Updated 07 May 2025
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Saudi Museums Commission, German Heritage Foundation launch program to deepen collaboration

RIYADH: The Saudi Museums Commission, one of 11 sector-specific commissions under the Ministry of Culture, and the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation of Germany have taken a step forward in their cultural partnership by activating an executive program focused on long-term collaboration in the museum sector.

Central to this initiative is the development of a loan index, outlining a selection of artworks and artefacts from the foundation’s various Berlin-based museums to be shared with the Museums Commission over a five-year period.

This loan program forms part of the broader executive program signed by both parties.

The agreement outlines key areas of cooperation, including joint exhibitions in art and archaeology, long-term loans, strategic cultural projects, and capacity-building through training and residencies.

Two dedicated training programs have been agreed upon as part of this collaboration, said the Ministry of Culture in a press release.

One of the flagship initiatives, Museums in Motion, will bring together up to 80 cultural and museum professionals from both countries over five years through four interdisciplinary training sessions. 

Participants will engage in joint learning activities in both countries, fostering sustained dialogue, professional exchange, deeper cross-cultural understanding, and long-term institutional partnerships.

In a parallel initiative with the Hamburger Bahnhof — Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart (National Gallery of Contemporary Art) in Berlin, a professional program will support talent development in the museum field. 

Over the next five years, experts from Hamburger Bahnhof will contribute to training and mentorship, fostering the exchange of knowledge and best practices in museum management and curation.

This executive program reflects the Kingdom’s commitment to strengthening international cultural dialogue and advancing professional exchange in the global museum community.


Call for Saudis to join national AI training

Updated 07 May 2025
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Call for Saudis to join national AI training

RIYADH: The Saudi Data and AI Authority, in collaboration with the education and human resources and social development ministries, has invited citizens to register for the national initiative, “One Million Saudis in AI – SAMAI.”

The initiative, which is taking place for the first time, aims to train 1 million Saudis in artificial intelligence to strengthen national capabilities in line with Vision 2030, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

It will provide trainees with skills and knowledge in data and AI technologies, their applications and ethics, and practical training on the tools needed to integrate AI into business and daily life.

The initiative aligns with the Kingdom’s goal of becoming a global leader in technology and innovation while empowering citizens in advanced fields, according to the SPA.

The authority and ministries are encouraging citizens from all backgrounds to register at samai.futurex.sa/.


Red Sea International Film Festival opens for 2025 submissions

File photo of the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah. (Supplied)
Updated 07 May 2025
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Red Sea International Film Festival opens for 2025 submissions

  • Saudi, Arab, Africa, Asia entrants eligible to enter by Aug. 17
  • Festival has shown 520 films from 85 nations, says official

JEDDAH: The Red Sea International Film Festival has opened its submissions portal for its fifth edition, which will run from Dec. 4 to 13 in the historic district of Al-Balad, Jeddah.

Filmmakers from Saudi Arabia, other countries in the Arab world, Africa and Asia have until Aug. 17 to submit their entries.

There will be no fee for entries submitted before July 7, after which a fee will apply: SR100 ($26) for short films and SR200 for feature films.

Submissions can be entered under three categories: the Red Sea Competition, Red Sea Shorts Competition and New Saudi/New Cinema.

The Red Sea Competition highlights outstanding works from Asia and Africa, including the Arab world, across narrative, documentary and animation.

The Shorts Competition showcases films under 60 minutes, focusing on original storytelling.

The New Saudi/New Cinema section focuses on emerging local talent, offering a platform for new voices in the Kingdom’s rapidly growing film scene.

Since its inception in 2019, the festival has served as a platform for cultural dialogue and cinematic discovery, while strengthening ties between regional and international filmmakers.

Selected films this year will vie for the prestigious Yusr Awards, including the Golden Yusr for Best Feature Film, which comes with a $100,000 prize. Other accolades include Best Director, the Jury Prize and the Golden Yusr for Best Short Film.

Shivani Pandya Malhotra, managing director of the Red Sea Film Foundation, said in a statement the festival has “firmly established itself as a distinctive force within the cinematic landscape, both locally and internationally.”

“Having showcased over 520 films from 85 countries, the festival stands today as a vital platform for cultural exchange and compelling storytelling,” she added.