Page 101 - SAMENA Trends - September-October 2022

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

UAE and UN Satellite Initiative to Help Bahrain and Nepal Gain Access to

Space

A space initiative by the UAE and UN is already look forward to seeing the results sustainable, peaceful use of outer space
helping to give access to space to nations of the PHI program boosting the space and building national capacity in the space
that are trying to develop their own space industry in Bahrain and Nepal,” he said. field." Bahrain has increased investment
programs. Bahrain and Nepal were recently Bahrain’s National Space Science Agency in space over the past few years and is a
selected to add their technologies into a (NSSA) will develop the Aman payload, signatory of the US-led Artemis Accords,
satellite called PHI-1. The modular satellite which will help secure communication an international agreement that outlines
is part of the Payload Hosting initiative between the satellite and ground station. peaceful space exploration. The UAE
by the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs Nepal’s Antarikchya Pratisthan, a non- and Bahrain have worked together on
(Unoosa) and the Mohammed bin Rashid profit organization, will build the ‘Danfe another satellite – the Light-1 Cubesat
Space Centre. Private companies will help Space Mission’ – technology that will study – which was launched last year to study
build the satellite for the space Centre, operations of drones in space. “Aman is charged particles above thunderstorms.
with technologies from Bahrain and Nepal considered the first Bahraini payload fully Bahrain and Nepal’s selection in the first
to be added in. A launch date has not designed, integrated and tested by NSSA,” round of the Payload Hosting Initiative
been given. Unoosa Acting Director Niklas said Mohamed Al Aseeri, chief executive of will help the nations' engineers to build
Hedman said that the program is helping Bahrain’s space agency. “This opportunity skills and gain experience in space
emerging space nations build capacities is unprecedented in our quest to contribute technologies. Abhas Maskey, the founder
in space science and technology. "I meaningfully to the global effort towards of Antarikchya Pratisthan Nepal, said that
their involvement will help the organization
move closer to Vision 2050 – a program
that aims to launch Nepal’s first astronaut
in space by 2050. “If Nepal is to progress
as a spacefaring nation, the country has to
take each and every opportunity available
to develop self-reliance, perform research
and development and build capacity for
space,” he said. Nepal launched its first
satellite NepaliSat-1 in 2019. Since then,
it has been trying to increase activities in
space, but its space program is struggling
to get a decent budget, according to local
reports. The National reported earlier that
the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre
would try to develop at least two satellites
under the Payload Hosting Initiative each
year to help create access to space for
developing nations.

Bahrain ICT Investments Expected to Create Over 770 Jobs

The Bahrain Economic Development Board nomic Development Board, said: “We are ue jobs, of which 59 per cent are held by
(EDB) has attracted $98m (BHD37m) worth pleased to see more and more ICT compa- Bahraini nationals. According to statistics
of direct investments from 14 international nies calling Bahrain home for their region- released by the Ministry of Finance and Na-
companies in its Information and Commu- al operations. Continuous development in tional Economy, the ICT sector contributed
nications Technology (ICT) sector in the the ICT sector is a strategic priority for the 6.8 per cent to Bahrain’s real GDP at the end
first 3 quarters of 2022. Over 770 jobs are kingdom. The kingdom’s highly qualified of Q4 2021. Overall, Bahrain’s EDB attract-
expected to be created as a result of these local talent, best-value operating costs, as ed $921m (BHD348m) in direct investment
investments in order to help the kingdom well as its strategic location and connec- from 66 companies during the first nine
reach the objectives of its Economic Recov- tivity to the entire region positions Bahrain months of 2022. The investments are ex-
ery Plan by advancing economic growth. as the destination of choice for global ICT pected to generate over 4,700 jobs over the
Commenting on the investments, Musab companies.” Meanwhile, the ICT sector is next three years in key sectors, including
Abdullah, executive director of Investment a major pillar in Bahrain’s economy. The financial services, ICT, logistics, manufac-
Development – ICT at the Bahrain Eco- sector generates large number of high-val- turing and tourism.
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