Oman to showcase new space industry potential at Jan ’24 expo
Published: 02:09 PM,Sep 14,2023 | EDITED : 06:09 PM,Sep 14,2023
MUSCAT: Seeking to ignite the growth of a new space-based economy in the Sultanate of Oman, the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology (MTCIT) will host next January a major international conference aimed at positioning the country as a strategic destination for space applications and technologies in the Middle East.
To help with the delivery of an impactful event, set to take place in Muscat during January 8 – 10, 2024, the Ministry has tapped Euroconsult, a leading French-based global space and satellite strategy consulting group. Around 350 experts from around the Middle East, and internationally as well, are expected to attend this first ever space-centric summit in Oman.
The high-profile event will cap a year of momentous developments in Oman’s nascent space-based economic sector. A landmark Space Policy unveiled earlier this year seeks to lay the foundations of a future space industry in the country. Initiatives currently in hand include a strategy to launch the nation’s first satellite in partnership with a number of international players.
Further, as a proposed hub for downstream space services applications, Oman is also looking to harness space sciences as a vehicle to help accelerate the development of key economic sectors, notably logistics, mining, food security and urban planning, among others.
Other underlying goals behind the development of space sciences and related activities is to encourage young Omanis to explore careers in this emerging industry, as well as harness space technologies to mitigate the effects of climate and natural disasters which regularly menace the country.
More recently, authorities have sought to highlight Oman’s potential to host launch pads for commercial space rockets. Just last month, the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation announced the completion of a survey of potential space launch sites in the country. The 18-month-long exercise helped pinpoint a number of optimal locations as launch sites.
Local Omani space tech start-up Global Space and Technology Company is firming up plans for the establishment of a space hub, dubbed ‘Zone 88’, in the Special Economic Zone at Duqm. The complex is proposed to host five international projects: Space Habitat Center, Commercial Space Launching Area, Unmanned Vehicles Technology Center, AI and Advanced Technology Testing Area, and Ground Station.
Welcoming the announcement about the January space summit, Dr Ali bin Amur al Shidhani, Under-Secretary for Communications and Information Technology at MCTIT, said, “By organizing this event, the Ministry aims to achieve many goals, the most prominent of which is strengthening the position of the Sultanate in the sector and placing it on the global and regional space map due to the country’s competitive advantages and elements that would add value to the space industry. This conference aims to raise awareness among the international space community about the regional space sector. It is a unique platform for all partners from government and the industry to communicate directly and establish areas for collaboration.”
To help with the delivery of an impactful event, set to take place in Muscat during January 8 – 10, 2024, the Ministry has tapped Euroconsult, a leading French-based global space and satellite strategy consulting group. Around 350 experts from around the Middle East, and internationally as well, are expected to attend this first ever space-centric summit in Oman.
The high-profile event will cap a year of momentous developments in Oman’s nascent space-based economic sector. A landmark Space Policy unveiled earlier this year seeks to lay the foundations of a future space industry in the country. Initiatives currently in hand include a strategy to launch the nation’s first satellite in partnership with a number of international players.
Further, as a proposed hub for downstream space services applications, Oman is also looking to harness space sciences as a vehicle to help accelerate the development of key economic sectors, notably logistics, mining, food security and urban planning, among others.
Other underlying goals behind the development of space sciences and related activities is to encourage young Omanis to explore careers in this emerging industry, as well as harness space technologies to mitigate the effects of climate and natural disasters which regularly menace the country.
More recently, authorities have sought to highlight Oman’s potential to host launch pads for commercial space rockets. Just last month, the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation announced the completion of a survey of potential space launch sites in the country. The 18-month-long exercise helped pinpoint a number of optimal locations as launch sites.
Local Omani space tech start-up Global Space and Technology Company is firming up plans for the establishment of a space hub, dubbed ‘Zone 88’, in the Special Economic Zone at Duqm. The complex is proposed to host five international projects: Space Habitat Center, Commercial Space Launching Area, Unmanned Vehicles Technology Center, AI and Advanced Technology Testing Area, and Ground Station.
Welcoming the announcement about the January space summit, Dr Ali bin Amur al Shidhani, Under-Secretary for Communications and Information Technology at MCTIT, said, “By organizing this event, the Ministry aims to achieve many goals, the most prominent of which is strengthening the position of the Sultanate in the sector and placing it on the global and regional space map due to the country’s competitive advantages and elements that would add value to the space industry. This conference aims to raise awareness among the international space community about the regional space sector. It is a unique platform for all partners from government and the industry to communicate directly and establish areas for collaboration.”