The United Arab Emirates has officially adopted the National Space Strategy 2031, a sweeping plan to transform the country into one of the world’s top ten space economies within five years. The strategy was approved at a UAE Cabinet meeting chaired by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and announced on April 12.
The move marks an upgrade from the previous National Space Strategy 2030 and signals that the UAE is accelerating, not just sustaining, its ambitions in the global space race.
Three Pillars, One Clear Target
The strategy focuses on three main goals: building a resilient and investment-attractive space ecosystem, strengthening global partnerships and market access, and developing competitive infrastructure and facilities.
Anchoring all three is a headline ranking target. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum stated that the UAE is working to increase the value added by the space economy by 60%, double its overall returns, and position the country among the world’s top ten space economies by 2031.
The strategy also sets a series of doubling targets across the sector: these include doubling total space economy revenues, doubling the number of national space companies, doubling the reach of UAE space exports to international markets, doubling investments in space infrastructure, and doubling the number of UAE-based space startups.
A Sector Already Gaining Ground
The 2031 strategy does not start from scratch. The UAE space sector is already valued at over AED 44 billion and involves more than 170 national, scientific, and economic entities. The country has developed and launched 30 satellites, operates an Emirati astronauts programme, ran a scientific mission to Mars, and has a new mission planned to Venus and the asteroid belt.
The data behind the sector’s recent growth adds further context. A Space Economic Survey tracking progress over the past five years revealed a 49% increase in total public and private sector spending on space, while spending on research and development increased ninefold since 2019. The same survey noted a 51% increase in female citizens working in the space sector, a metric the government highlighted as evidence of a maturing ecosystem.
Private Sector at the Centre
A defining feature of the new strategy is its emphasis on private sector participation. Alongside the strategy, the UAE launched the National Space Industries Programme, a comprehensive package of initiatives including economic and investment policies that incentivise both emerging and established space companies, as well as financial and operational support for their growth and sustainability.
The programme also seeks to facilitate access to local and international markets through dedicated channels and focuses on accelerating knowledge transfer between public and private institutions. The intent is to reduce the state’s role as the primary actor in the space economy and build a commercially driven ecosystem capable of competing globally on its own terms.
Why the Ranking Matters
Targeting a top-ten global ranking is an investment signal. Countries that rank among the world’s leading space economies attract satellite manufacturing contracts, launch partnerships, ground station infrastructure, and the talent pipelines that follow commercial activity. For the UAE, which has spent two decades diversifying away from oil dependence, the space sector offers a rare combination of scientific prestige and genuine economic upside.
The strategy also fits within the UAE’s broader long-term planning architecture. The National Space Strategy 2031 is a critical pillar of the UAE Centennial 2071 and the “We the UAE 2031” vision, with the government aiming to ground its economy in sustainable, high-tech industries and reduce reliance on traditional sectors.
