The Middle East is no longer defining its space ambitions – it is executing them, propelled by ambitious satellite programs and strategic partnerships.
Read our top four takeaways from our conversation with Steve Bochinger, affiliate executive advisor at Novaspace, or listen to the full episode.
Takeaway 1: The Middle East is shifting from vision-setting to execution.
Middle Eastern space programs in the past decade have progressed beyond defining ambition and are now focused on executing on their initiatives, Bochinger said.
“We have shifted from this formulation of objectives to implementation of plans,” he said.
Government space spending in the region has doubled over the past 10 years and is expected to continue rising, although it remains below global benchmarks when measured as a share of GDP, Bochinger said.
“If you take government investment in space on GDP, in the US, it’s 0.25%. In the Middle East, it’s 0.05%, so you can still see that there is room for improvement on this side,” he said.
The region represents approximately 8% of the $45 billion global space economy, but its contribution is on a steady growth trajectory as space programs come to fruition, Bochinger said.
“I think we are reaching around $2.5 billion, and I think we are going to be close to $4 billion by the end of the decade,” he said.
Initial outcomes from these programs are expected over the next few years as national space ecosystems take shape, Bochinger said.
“We are in this transition phase, and within the next couple of years, we will see the first results of these implementation plans. I think that’s going to be interesting,” he said.
Takeaway 2: Partnerships drive capability and sovereignty.
Leveraging international partnerships can actually help nations accelerate their sovereign space ambitions, Bochinger said.
“Most countries have relied on foreign partners and foreign suppliers to develop systems, sovereign systems, always in the spirit of building capabilities and progressively get the know- how and the technology to develop their sovereign solutions,” he said, noting that Turkey, Egypt and UAE are three nations whose space programs have benefited from international collaboration.
“Today these countries are able to manufacture to be self-sufficient and self-capable of developing between 60% to 100% of satellite missions because of these partnerships,” he said.
Takeaway 3: Most commercial opportunity sits in downstream services.
Market value in the Middle East is concentrated in applications, with downstream services accounting for the majority of commercial activity, Bochinger said.
“Eighty percent of the business opportunities in the region come on the services side,” said Bochinger. “And as part of this, I would say 90% is satellite communication related.”
The satcom market is already worth $10 billion in the region, Bochinger said.
“This is where the money is, and this is where the growth potential is the biggest,” he said.
Earth observation and satellite navigation services are also emerging space market segments in the Middle East, particularly for government applications, Bochinger added.
Takeaway 4: Space is a core pillar of national transformation strategies.
Space programs in the Middle East are designed to support broader national transformation agendas rather than standalone aerospace goals, Bochinger said. Across the Gulf, space is positioned alongside technology, innovation and industrial development within long-term national vision frameworks, he said.
“Space is seen as a key pillar of these transformations,” he said.
Economic diversification, national sovereignty and international positioning are three consistent drivers shaping space strategy across the region, Bochinger said.
“They are all investing in domains that can help raise their leadership and profile on the global stage, and space is one of that,” he said.
For more, listen to the full episode.
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