Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Tuesday, Aug 26, 2025

Space cooperation between UAE and Philippines thrives

Space cooperation between UAE and Philippines thrives

The Republic of the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates diplomatic relations are now 47 years old and in efforts to continually fortify this, not only for the benefit of their respective citizens but for the entire humanity as well, a Space Cooperation has been initiated by the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi.
The first meeting took place exactly on the 47th anniversary of the diplomatic relations last August 19 (Thursday). Officials and representatives of the two-year-old Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) and the seven-year-old United Arab Emirates Space Agency (UAESA), led respectively by PhilSA director general Dr. Joel Marciano Jr. and UAESA executive director Ibrahim Al Qasim, met virtually at the UAE Space Agency headquarters in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi.

According to the press release given to Gulf Today on late Thursday evening, Marciano and Al Qasim “lauded the Embassy’s efforts to bring together the two space agencies and discussed practical ways the Philippines and the UAE can move forward with Space Cooperation.”

Specifically discussed at the initial meeting, with Philippine Ambassador to the UAE Hjayceelyn M. Quintana in attendance, were cooperation on space technology applications primarily concentrating on food security, hazard management and climate studies. Both sides considered exchange of experiences in the respective space programmes between Filipino and Emirati scientists. The parties expressed commitment to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding during the October 2021 “72nd International Congress” to be hosted by the UAE and held in Dubai.

In her speech on Thursday, Quintana, the eighth Philippine Ambassador to the UAE, after the diplomatic relations were established on August 19, 1974 said: “Let us make this 47th year anniversary a milestone in our relations. By forging the path of space cooperation, the Philippines and the UAE are charting a new frontier in our bilateral relations, which like space, will be of limitless possibilities.”

She early on stated: “Even in the midst of the pandemic, the last two years have been groundbreaking for both the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as far as space science and technology is concerned.

“In 2019, the Philippine Space Agency was born on August 8 to be exact. The UAE on the other hand, made history when its Mars Mission ‘Al Amal’ or ‘Hope Probe’ was launched on July 19, 2020 and reached Mars on February 9, 2021 making the UAE the first Arab country and the fifth country to reach Mars. Truly a spectacular feat for the UAE Space Agency that is only seven years old.

“The Philippines and the UAE may be new in the field of space exploration but there is no doubting and underestimating their enthusiasm and eagerness to jump-starting science and succeed in exploring the great beyond. Their efforts, individually, have shown so much promise and future.”

Quintana mentioned the ejection into space of the two PhilSA micro and nano satellites coded as DIWATA (Filipino for fairy)-1 and DIWATA-2 as well as the cube satellite Maya (a small passerine Philippine bird)-2: “The DIWATA-2 was launched along with the UAE’s KhalifaSAT from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan on October 29, 2018, even before the formal creation of the PhilSA. A cube satellite, Maya-2 was also released to space this year, on March 14, which is the Philippines’ fourth successful attempt to send a satellite to space.

Japanese experts cited the Philippines as one of the best examples of a success story saying that none is more serious about developing in-country human resources than the Philippines. As they say, before you can make a spacecraft, you have to train engineers who know how to make them. With these microsatellites for space research, the Philippines can do applications in remote sensing and communications. They can also be used for climate monitoring to disaster response and other applications that can help in economic recovery and national growth.”

Quintana praised the dedication of the UAE in engaging in international collaboration and aptly referenced to the statement of UAE Minister of State for Advanced Technology Sarah Al Amiri at the June 8, 2021 signing of the Artemis Accords, relative to the USA-led programme and the “political commitment of governments” to send man back to the moon by 2024.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
×