Emiratis reach for the stars: UAE's space Tech boom creates thriving career landscape

The UAE’s burgeoning space sector reached another significant milestone, when astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi returned to Earth after a six-month mission on the International Space Station.

At the heart of the UAE’s ambitions is a desire to diversify the economy, create jobs and promote scientific research. International collaborations enable the UAE to share knowledge, deepen capabilities and obtain access to international infrastructure. Meanwhile, the USD 817 millon National Space Fund provides the finances to develop a domestic ecosystem to drive innovation.

Much of this innovation will be found in the deployment and development of New Space technology — with Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites playing a key role in the UAE. The previous generation of satellites were prohibitively expensive and took years to construct. In comparison, next-generation SAR satellites are affordable, flexible and can be launched in months. SAR satellites transmit and receive radar signals off the surface of the Earth, which enables operators to build a precise picture of what is happening on the ground.

The market for the remote sensing data provided by satellites is expected to be worth more than USD 400 million in the Middle East by 2027 and up to USD 4 billion globally. Bayanat and Yahsat, announced plans to launch a constellation of five SAR satellites that will provide geospatial intelligence to customers across a range of industries.

With these exciting advances, and as the Ru-ya careers fair rolls into town, we urge young Emiratis looking at their employment options to consider a career in space tech. The field offers the chance to actively participate in the UAE's space missions, collaborate across the globe, and to work at the vanguard of technology and engineering.

Embarking on this cosmic journey not only promises personal growth but also provides an opportunity to contribute to a legacy of progress and discovery in humanity’s next frontier. 

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