Dubai: The National Space Science and Technology Center has officially begun implementing the 813 satellite project, which is one of the initiatives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him.

During the COP 28 climate summit, the center’s pavilion, located in the Green Zone, witnessed the signing of the announcement of the launch of work on the project in the presence of His Excellency Dr. Ghaleb Al Hadhrami, Vice President of the United Arab Emirates University, and His Excellency Salem Al Qubaisi, Director General of the Emirates Agency. For Space, His Excellency Piao Zhou, Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of the People's Republic of China and a number of senior invitees and engineers working on the project.

Satellite 813 aims to provide accurate hyperspectral data and enhance cooperation in the field of space between the countries of the Arab Cooperation Group, with funding from the Emirates Space Agency, and in cooperation with the United Arab Emirates University.

Ali Al Shehhi, Director of the National Space Science and Technology Center, said that the signing of the project agreement with the Chinese partner coincides with the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the People’s Republic of China and the United Arab Emirates, as relations between the two countries have witnessed great development in various fields, and over the past years the two countries have become strong friends who help... They complement each other and are important partners who work and coordinate together in regional and international affairs.”

Al Shehhi added, "In light of the strategy drawn up by the wise leadership, the friendly relations between the United Arab Emirates and China are witnessing rapid development in line with the developments that both countries have witnessed in the field of development and technological development. It also reflects the increasing interest of both sides to deepen relations and move them towards greater cooperation, especially cooperation." Scientific, technological, culture and education.

Al Shehhi explained that the center is meeting today to celebrate a wonderful partnership in the field of space science and technology with the Chinese partner, as statistics show amazing progress in the space sector in China, making them one of the future leaders in this field.

Al Shehhi continued, “Today we are honored to announce the signing of the joint work agreement with the Chinese party in developing and completing the Arab Satellite 813, to then lay the foundations for a long journey full of knowledge, passion, and serious scientific cooperation for the benefit of both parties.”

For his part, His Excellency Piao Zhou, Minister and Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, said, “It gives me great pleasure to be here today to witness the signing ceremony of Satellite 813, which represents an outstanding cooperation between the People’s Republic of China and the United Arab Emirates, in light of the great consensus.” between the leadership of the two countries on the need to strengthen cooperation between our countries.

Zhou added, "Today, China has witnessed a significant increase and growth in its space capabilities over the years, and there is great scope for cooperation between the two countries in this field, in light of China's commitment to supporting international cooperation in the field of space services."

Zhu valued the UAE experience in the field of space as a pioneering experience based on encouraging innovation and accelerating the process of transition to a knowledge-based economy, pointing to the UAE’s commitment to raising the capabilities of research and technological development to enhance this industry, stressing that there are great opportunities for cooperation between the two sides in this regard. sector.

The speaker touched on the Belt and Road Conference for Scientific and Technological Exchange that China hosted a month ago, which witnessed the participation of the UAE’s diplomatic mission in Beijing. The conference witnessed China’s launch of an initiative for international cooperation in the field of science and technology, expressing its ambitions for more technological cooperation in the space industry. Through satellite 813.  

Satellite 813 is the first space cooperation project between the Arab countries led by the UAE. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai announced Satellite 813 a present to the Arab Space Cooperation Group at the Global Space Conference (Abu Dhabi, March 2019) in light of signing the charter of establishment. This initiative comes as a result of the leadership’s commitment and generous support towards establishing the group and encouraging its efforts of collaboration in space.

The UAE Space Agency funds and supervises the project while the National Space Science and Technology Center in UAE University leads the execution of the project.

The new satellite has been named 813 and refers to the date that marked the beginning of prosperity of the House of Wisdom in Baghdad under the reign of Al-Ma’mun. Representing the region, the House embraced scientists, translated notable texts and produced scientific capabilities.

The Satellite is unique among Hyperspectral satellites in terms of weight, size and efficiency. The agency focused on several factors during its selection, including that the Satellite is to be manufactured inside the country through scientific centers and laboratories in order to build and develop the local and Arab capacity in field of design, manufacturing, assembly, testing as well as satellite ground operations and analyzing the retrieved hyperspectral data.