Saudi Arabia and Egypt have taken a landmark step in Arab space cooperation, with the Saudi Cabinet formally approving plans to design and build the two countries’ first jointly developed satellite.
The initiative was approved during a Cabinet session chaired by King Salman bin Abdulaziz in Jeddah, signaling growing momentum behind regional collaboration in space technologies as Gulf countries deepen investments in satellite systems and Earth observation capabilities.
The Saudi Space Agency and the Egyptian Space Agency will collaborate across multiple stages of development and operation, with joint efforts focused on satellite manufacturing, operations, imaging and commercialisation — with particular emphasis on remote sensing and Earth observation technologies.
The partnership builds on a memorandum of understanding signed between the two agencies in December 2023, aimed at promoting peaceful space activities and facilitating the exchange of technical expertise.
For Saudi Arabia, the project aligns closely with Vision 2030, which places technology localisation, innovation and advanced manufacturing at the centre of the Kingdom’s economic transformation agenda. Egypt, meanwhile, has positioned itself as one of Africa’s leading centres for space research and satellite development.
Few technical details or launch timelines have been disclosed so far, but analysts say the project could become one of the most prominent symbols of Arab cooperation in the rapidly growing global space economy.
