Morocco has signed the Arab Space Cooperation Group’s basic charter in order to strengthen cooperation in the space industry.
The Arab Space Cooperation Group is a regional space-focused entity formed in 2019 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Chaired by the UAE Space Agency, it is responsible for coordinating regional space initiatives among the 14 member states and they are the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Jordan, Algeria, Tunisia, Sudan, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Iraq, and Mauritania.
The group’s goal is to promote and organize regional space cooperation. This involves harmonizing regulations among space authorities, adopting a unified position at regional and international forums, and guiding joint initiatives for comprehensive collaboration.
Dr. Driss Al-Hadani Director General CRTS
“Morocco is proud to be a founding member of the Arab Space Cooperation Group and signing its basic charter is an important step forward in creating a unified regional vision. On behalf of everyone at the Royal Centre for Remote Sensing (CRTS), I would like to extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to the UAE Space Agency for hosting our delegation. Today’s ratification is a further indication of the strong bilateral relations between our two countries in all fields, especially the new frontier of space.”
Mr. Ibrahim Al-Qasim, Space Science Advisor at the UAE Space Agency said, “We are pleased to see Morocco ratify the Arab Space Cooperation Group’s basic charter because it will serve as a mechanism to accelerate joint endeavors and create a unified vision for the region.”
“Sharing knowledge and expertise is extremely important and that is why the Arab Space Cooperation Group was established in 2019. By enhancing collaboration and cooperation in all related fields, we can continue to create new opportunities for economic growth, develop cutting-edge advanced technologies and encourage deep space exploration among all member states,” added Mr. Al-Qasim.
The Arab Space Cooperation Group’s basic charter was adopted during the sixth meeting of member states in November 2019. It intends to improve the exchange of knowledge, technical expertise, experiences, and information, as well as encourage the development of scientific research and innovation to develop advanced space capabilities.
It promotes international law and regulatory harmonization and strives to unify them as far as feasible following global best practices. Further, the charter encourages members without a space agency or space program to develop them and to collaborate with regional and international entities.
