UAE, UN discuss challenges in space activities

ABU DHABI / WAM

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and United Nations Office for Outer Space (UNOOSA) on Tuesday held a symposium at the Rosewood Hotel in Abu Dhabi, bringing together industry leaders from the aviation and space industries.
The main theme of the symposium was the challenges and opportunities within emerging space activities and civil aviation.
Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy and Chairman of the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) opened the proceedings of the symposium. Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director General of GCAA, Dr. Mohammed Al Ahbabi, Director General of the UAE Space Agency and George Whitesides, CEO and President of Virgin Galactic gave keynote addresses on aerospace innovation and suborbital operations. Al Suwaidi explained to the audience that any initiative focused on enhancing cooperation between civil aviation and space travel must take into account the public interest rather than focusing on pure profit. He called for a solid legislative and regulatory framework to ensure the safety and security of the ever expanding space sector.
Dr Al Ahbabi commented, “As more investments are being made in the space sector, it is vital that we come together to address challenges and issues that we face globally within the industry.”