Dubai Municipality and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU in order to establish the Dubai Space Laboratory.
The lab is the first in the region and will focus on testing, researching, and calibrating devices, materials, and technologies used in space missions. The Dubai Space Laboratory will be based at the Dubai Central Laboratory. The MoU was signed during the COP28.
The project marks Dubai Municipality’s second foray into the space sector, following on from DMSat-1, a nanometric satellite that analyses environmental data and measures air pollutants. In addition to calibration, the new laboratory will conduct studies and research that support Dubai’s strategic efforts in space.
Dawoud Al Hajri Director-General Dubai Municipality
“The main goal of this project is to support the UAE’s space sector, which has become one of the country’s most important and promising economic sectors. Its growth is down to the attention given to it by the government’s leadership, who consider space a national priority. Dubai Municipality’s partnerships reflect the emirate’s forward-looking aspirations. Future sectors such as space are key to Dubai’s strategy for strengthening its position as a global hub for innovation and a future economy. The Dubai Space Laboratory will include a center for space research, where specialized research studies will be conducted using the comprehensive space database to support the objectives of the UAE National Space Program. The laboratory represents a shift in the scope of the municipality’s work, which will now encompass developing innovative solutions to challenges based on scientific research.”
Under the MoU, Dubai Municipality and MBRSC will provide the Dubai Space Laboratory with the latest technologies and devices in accordance with international best practices and standards.
For his part, Mr. Salem AlMarri, Director-General of MBRSC, said that, “This project represents a significant advancement in specialized laboratory services and calibration work at the regional level and aligns with the vision of MBRSC to enhance the UAE’s global position in the space sector and future economy.”
“The MoU aims to support the country’s space sector and promote excellence in advanced laboratory testing. The Dubai Space Laboratory will serve as a comprehensive research center for space and advanced technologies, where we will provide state-of-the-art technologies, devices, and advanced information infrastructure,” Mr. AlMarri added.
Under the MoU, Dubai Municipality and MBRSC will develop a new, first-of-its-kind digital model and simulation based on the lab’s research. The space laboratory testing database aims to explore the future and predict the patterns and characteristics of food and consumables to be used and traded for long-duration space exploration missions.
Through the Dubai Space Laboratory, Dubai Municipality and MBRSC will also focus on upskilling and empowering national talent by providing testing, calibration, and research courses in collaboration with some of the world’s top research and training institutes.
