H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Member of Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office, attended the opening ceremony of the first edition of the Abu Dhabi Space Debate, which is organised by the UAE Space Agency with the participation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Ministry of Defence.
Under the patronage of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and in the presence of Israeli President Isaac Herzog, the Abu Dhabi Space Debate will run from 5th to 7th December at Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), and is set to witness the attendance of 300 decision-makers and representatives from 47 international space institutions and agencies.
The opening ceremony was attended by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Indian Minister of State for Space, Science and Technology, on behalf of India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi; Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, Minister of State for International Cooperation; Sarah bint Yousif Al Amiri, Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology and Chairperson of UAE Space Agency; Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of State; Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Dr. Abdulatif bin Rashid Al Zayani; and a number of ministers and officials.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed witnessed the keynote address delivered by President Herzog, as well as the speech of Dr. Singh.
On the occasion, Sheikh Abdullah welcomed the visit of President Herzog to the UAE and his participation in the Abu Dhabi Space Debate, affirming that cooperation between their two countries in the sectors of space, knowledge, and related technologies, is witnessing continuous growth and development.
He also highlighted that the Abu Dhabi Space Debate constitutes an important global platform for foreseeing the future of this vital sector and enhancing its contributions to sustainable development and stimulating global economic growth.
H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed noted that the UAE, in light of its pioneering global achievements in the space sector, was keen to organise this global event to develop innovative global strategies in space exploration, and pave the way for fruitful international cooperation in this sector.
He praised Abu Dhabi Space Debate's focus on the three main topics, which include space sustainability, space accessibility and space security, indicating that the event also focuses on strengthening the role of the private sector in the field of space exploration.
Sheikh Abdullah expressed his wishes for all participants to benefit from the event to build an effective international cooperation model in the field of space exploration that includes innovative and modern strategies to promote the growth of this vital sector for the benefit of all humanity.
