UAE enters into space tourism partnership with Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin

Ministry of Economy aims to accelerate the Emirates' economic development through space activities

Billionaire businessman Jeff Bezos embraces veteran aviator Wally Funk after Blue Origin’s reusable New Shepard craft capsule returned from space on Tuesday, July 20, 2021.

Jeff Bezos, Funk and and gap-year student Oliver Daemen, 18, disembark after Blue Origin’s reusable New Shepard capsule returned from space.

Jeff Bezos disembarks after the flight.

New Shepard touches down on Earth.

New Shepard approaches the ground.

The capsule carrying Jeff Bezos and three crew members returns to Texas by parachute.

The booster rocket returns to the launch pad.

The rocket lifts off.

The launch viewed from far.

The rocket is launched on the world’s first unpiloted suborbital flight.

It took off from Blue Origin’s launch site, near Van Horn in western Texas, US.

Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket is launched from its spaceport.

The rocket lift-off.

The launch pad. Blue Origin’s first crewed mission was an 11-minute flight from Texas and back. Reaching an altitude of 106 kilometres, it coincided with the 52nd anniversary of the first Moon landing.

People watch on a television screen as the rocket sits on the launch pad.

The crew members prepare for the flight.

The crew members prepare for the flight.

Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon.com, rings a bell before boarding the flight.

This still image taken from video by Blue Origin shows Funk, Daemen and the Bezos brothers before they leave for the flight.

A monitor in a zone reserved for the media shows Wally Funk being interviewed.

This still image taken from video by Blue Origin shows Funk, Jeff and Mark Bezos, and Daemen as they ascend the crew tower for the flight.

This still image taken from video by Blue Origin shows, from left, Mark Bezos, Jeff Bezos, Wally Funk and Oliver Daemen as they travel to the launch pad.

Jeff Bezos, his brother Mark Bezos, a private equity executive, Wally Funk and Oliver Daemen pose in an undated photograph.

The UAE government is working with Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin to bring space tourism flights to the country, the Ministry of Economy has announced.

On Tuesday, The National revealed that the space tourism company was interested in setting up a spaceport in the UAE desert for suborbital flights.

Abdulla bin Touq, Minister of Economy, held a meeting with Blue Origin’s vice president Brent Sherwood this week at the International Astronautical Congress in Dubai.

Through this collaboration, we look forward to leveraging Blue Origin’s leading expertise in space manufacturing and space and low Earth orbit flight services to support the UAE’s plans

Abdulla bin Touq,
Minister of Economy

They agreed to develop a plan that would accelerate the ministry’s ambition for economic development through space activities, including space tourism.

“The ministry is working with its partners to establish an open economic ecosystem that attracts investments to target sectors and stimulate innovative companies to support sustainable development and create an advanced investment environment,” Mr bin Touq said.

“Through this collaboration, we look forward to leveraging Blue Origin’s leading expertise in space manufacturing and space and low Earth orbit flight services to support the UAE’s plans.

“We are also keen to expand the scope of our partnerships with Blue Origin to build and develop space tourism and enhance the national efforts in this respect.”

Blue Origin has sent eight people into space so far through its New Shepard missions, including Star Trek actor William Shatner, who became the oldest person in space, aged 90.

Now, the space tourism company is searching for other locations around the world to set up spaceports.

Mr Sherwood told The National that the UAE was an “obvious choice” and that there were discussions taking place.

“It’s an obvious place to look here. All we really need is some desert. One of the enduring qualities of the West Texas desert is that it is hard to get to the El Paso airport. You have to drive for a couple of hours and it is in the middle of nowhere,” he said.

“A couple of nights ago I slept over in Sharjah and did some stargazing in the desert. It was only 30 minutes away from Dubai, so I think it’s very promising to think about areas here.”

The UAE’s new space strategy involves creating an economic impact by going into partnership with private companies, as well as research and development in space.

The space sector’s added value in the UAE — the direct and indirect economic impact from the sector’s products and services — has reached Dh3 billion, according to the Ministry of Economy.

So far, the UAE has made Dh22 billion worth of investments in space.

Figures show the sector provides more than 3,200 jobs, with 57 space companies and organisations operating in the country.

These include five space science research centres and start-up companies.

The UAE’s total foreign trade in aerospace vehicles and their parts has reached Dh190 billion.

“Today, the UAE is home to several major space companies, offering excellent opportunities to start-ups in capitalising on the potential of operating outside the Earth’s orbit. We will move forward with our efforts to attract the companies operating in this field to become partners in driving growth and advancement of UAE’s space economy,” Mr Al Marri said.

AzurX is a private company in Dubai that is working as a strategic adviser to Blue Origin, and it will act as a bridge between the UAE and the space tourism company.

Anna Hazlett, chief executive of AzurX, told The National that it would be helping Blue Origin with its localisation strategy in the UAE, and would assist customers with space tourism flights and opportunities on Orbital Reef — a new private space station announced by Blue Origin on Monday.

UAE astronauts at Expo 2020 Dubai Space Week: in pictures

Nora Al Matrooshi, the first Arab female astronaut, speaks about her experience of being selected during Expo's Space Week. All photos: Expo 2020 Dubai

Maj Hazza Al Mansouri, the first Emirati in space, at Expo 2020 Dubai.

UAE astronauts Sultan Al Neyadi and Mohammed Al Mulla speak at Expo.

Maj Al Mansouri takes the stage during a Space Week panel session.