Spaceflight in the Middle East

In Feberuary 2006 a huge move took place that would launch the United Arab Emirates into the private spaceflight industry. On that day in the beginning of a new year, a company known as Space Adventures announced its plans to build a $265 Million spaceport in the warm desert of Ras Al-Khaimah in a joint ventures with an Emirati known as Prodea Systems. This story is just one of many coming from the United Arab Emirates in this new field of space tourism. Investors from all over the United Arab Emirates are stepping up to support this new industry and secure their nations right to this new commercialization.

Another prime example is the most well known company in private spaceflight, Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic. Virgin Galactic recently signed a deal with Aabar Investments, giving the largest Emirate of this nation, Abu Dhabi, the exclusive rights to use Virgin Galactic's SpaceShip program. Even with Abu Dhabi being the official middle east home to Virgin Galactic's flights, the people of Dubai are stepping up to take part in Virgin Galactic as well. One of the first passengers signed up for the ride is Dubai resident, Namira Salim, who no doubt bought her ticket Sharaf Travel in Dubai, one of two official space booking agents in the Africa-Middle East sector.

Aside from Virgin Galactic and Space Adventures, there have been other Emirati investments and involvments in private spaceflight. One unknown investor from the United Arab Emirates has recently investested money into the space hotel known as Galactic Suite. Additionally Islamic Astronomer David McNaughton has been helping the field of private spaceflight as well. Not only has he used scientific reasoning to open up astronomy and space to Islamic minds, but he was the very person to teach Namira Salim to fly in Dubai.

Space tourism isnt the only push into space happening in the United Arab Emirates, government and university space programs are also increasing in the nation. The UAE has recently launched its first satellite, DubaiSat-1 and is preparing to launch DubaiSat-2 as well as a satellite from Abu Dhabi known as YahSat-1. Before you think the spacerace is just a competition bewteen Dubai and Abu Dhabi, you must know that NASA has also selected 12 students from all over the UAE to train at several of it's facilities.

Through this all, one thing is certain - the United Arab Emirates will be playing a huge role in private spaceflight in the coming years. If you own or plan on starting your own spaceflight company, I suggest moving to the UAE, where the fuel is cheaper and the industry is booming. Only time will tell the UAE's true role in this historic industry, but I see it as being a big one. A big role for a small country.

Does this count as "spam"?

Just kidding. Thanks for the note.

It is a logical choice for them to make. They have leveraged their current oil wealth into diversifying the UAE into other industries.

I'm actually quite scared of the UAE getting even into space with the recent development with RIM and the BlackBerry. That just proves they like to be "Big Brother." I'm quite opposed to this, like forcing commercial flights off course and then use them for spying which happened pre-9/11. I'm oposed to any "Big Brother" type thing in space, even if they say it's for tourism, chances are, at one point, it might place a small satellite to view, not just people in the UAE, but people all over, and military activities.

Let me get this straight - you are worried that UAE will have the same
capabilities as the US?

Well, look at private companies making it too space! I think they could get very close! I mean look at the buildings they build! I think the could build a billion dollar satellite easily.

Probably would be more practical than half empty skyscrapers or designer islands.

I agree, but China might not like the idea and ram another satellite into another object.

Not likely (hopefully). There is a risk with all these new players to the space game that NEO could get dangerously crowded, but hopefully... everyone will play nice and responsibly.

I think that with the privatization of space, it will scare the UAE. That they can't have control over anything.

I think you are misconstruing the UAE and other Gulf states intent. And communications/media are different than transportation industries. They are actively courting just about anyone who can diversify their economy.

I don't think that the any big problems with NEO getting too crowded, or even a runaway space junk problem, would be caused by irresponsible newcomers. The dangers are well-known, and the guilty party would be losing their own things as fast as the others. It's mutually assured destruction.

I think that if it ever happens intentionally, it will follow the patent troll model: some nation that does not have any space-based assets, and no realistic way of developing them, will launch a single rocket in a retrograde orbit with a big bucket of junk attached to destroy all the other's satellites. Given that they never had any hope of a space programme anyway, they won't be losing anything themselves.

As for the emirates developing space flight, well, why not. Oil is running out, and even if it doesn't we'll replace it with renewables, so they have to have some kind of income source if they want to keep their life styles*. Why not space? I bet their RP-1 is the cheapest around . And like was said, the West doesn't exactly have a squeeky clean human rights record either. Wanting to monitor Blackberries is nothing compared to what Western intelligence agencies and law enforcement have been doing for a long time.

* I'm obviously talking about the wealthy upper crust here, not the practically enslaved foreign workers or the poor folk.