President Sheikh Mohamed invites Israeli counterpart to Abu Dhabi space event

Israel's President Isaac Herzog has been invited to attend event in December

President Sheikh Mohamed has invited Israeli President Isaac Herzog to the event being organised by the Emirates Space Agency. AFP

President Sheikh Mohamed has invited Israeli President Isaac Herzog to the Abu Dhabi Space Dialogue, which will take place in December this year.

The international event is being organised by the Emirates Space Agency.

Mr Herzog's official invitation from Sheikh Mohamed was delivered by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, who is currently on an official visit to Israel.

During his meeting with the Israeli president, Sheikh Abdullah emphasised the importance of consolidating peace in the region, state news agency Wam reported.

Sheikh Abdullah also praised the steady development of Emirati-Israeli relations and spoke on how the Abraham Accords have opened promising prospects for partnership between the two countries.

The meeting was also attended by Reem Al Hashemy, Minister of State for International Co-operation; Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth; Ahmed Al Sayegh; Omar Ghobash, Assistant Minister for Culture and Public Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Mohamed Al Khaja, UAE ambassador to Israel.

December's space conference is expected to bring together policymakers, leading engineers and scientists from around the world.

Last year, the International Astronautical Congress was held in Dubai after the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre won the bid to host it.

It brought together more than 5,000 people at the Dubai World Trade Centre, including heads of major space agencies, engineers, scientists, policymakers, company representatives and educators.

Arabic names of UAE space missions and what they mean: in pictures

A rendering of a planned satellite as part of the Sirb radar satellite constellation. Sirb translates to flock of birds. Photo: UAE Government Media Office

The Al Amal, or Hope, probe reached Mars orbit on February 9, 2021. Dubai Media Office Twitter account

Hope probe’s first image of Mars. Emirates Mars Mission/EXI 2021

The communication nanosatellite, Nayif-1, developed by students from the American University of Sharjah and engineers at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre. Photo: Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre

Fatma Loota, Deputy project manager of Nayif-1 at the MBRSC who is holding a model of the nanosatellite Nayif-1 in 2015. Photo: Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre

Engineers pose for a photograph with a model of KhalifaSat - the first satellite built entirely by Emirati engineers. The satellite was named after Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, Late President of the UAE. Wam

KhalifaSat, the UAE's first domestically built satellite, captured the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi in 2021. Photo: KhalifaSat / Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre

The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre is building the MBZSat, expected to be the region's most powerful imaging satellite. It is named after the UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed. Dubai Media Office

An MBRSC engineer works on the MBZSat. Photo: Dubai Media Office