2024 New Space Horizons Conference: Strengthening Africa-Middle East Collaboration in Space
The Egyptian Space Agency (EgSA) hosted the 2024 New Space Horizons Conference for Africa and the Middle East on September 2, 2024, in El Alamein City, Egypt. Serving as a prelude to the Egypt International Airshow 2024, the event focused on strengthening ties and enhancing collaboration between the African and Middle Eastern space communities. The conference addressed key topics such as policy development, international cooperation, sustainability, commercialisation, and emerging technologies in space exploration.
The event brought together experts from various space agencies. These included the African Space Agency, Algerian Space Agency, and Bahrain National Space Science Agency. Representatives from the Egyptian Space Agency, Kenya Space Agency, and Regional African Satellite Communication Organisation also attended. Additionally, the Saudi Space Agency, South African National Space Agency, UAE Space Agency, and UK Space Agency were present.
Professor Sherif Sedky, CEO of EgSA, inaugurated the conference with a presentation on EgSA’s initiatives to enhance regional collaboration and drive scientific innovation. The conference then explored five key areas: fostering collaboration between Africa and the Middle East, implementing space sustainability measures, addressing shared challenges in the space sector, securing international support for emerging space programs, and exploring public-private sector collaboration models.
Professor Sherif Sedky and Saudi Space Agency CEO Mohammed bin Saud al Tamimi discussed enhancing cooperation in satellite technologies. The discussion particularly focused on the manufacturing, operation, imaging, and marketing of remote sensing and imaging satellites. This dialogue was built upon a cooperation agreement signed in December 2023.
The conference also covered critical topics such as space traffic management, space debris mitigation, and sustainable resource utilisation. Representatives of agencies like the Bahrain National Space Science Agency and Safran Egypt contributed to this discussion. The Italian Space Agency (ASI) earned recognition for managing space debris through initiatives such as the Flyeye telescopes and the LICIAcube mission. The European Space Agency (ESA) and ASI highlighted the need for global partnerships in space safety. They also emphasized the role of capacity building in driving ongoing innovation.
The 2024 New Space Horizons Conference highlighted the growing importance of international collaboration in addressing space-related challenges. The conference provided a platform for discussing recent developments in space exploration and satellite communication. It also focused on the application of space technologies across various sectors.