Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) + UAE Space Agency · Dubai (MBRSC HQ); candidate facility sites include Al-Dhafra region, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Launch Pads
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Annual Launches
0 (planned)
Max Payload (LEO)
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Established
2014
The United Arab Emirates has rapidly built a sovereign space program — Hope Mars probe successfully entered Mars orbit in February 2021, an Emirati lunar rover Rashid flew on the iSpace Hakuto-R lander in 2023, and Sultan Al Neyadi completed a six-month ISS expedition in 2023. All UAE missions to date have launched on foreign vehicles (Hope flew from Japan's Tanegashima Space Center on an H-IIA). The UAE Space Agency and Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) are studying a domestic launch capability, with long-horizon concepts including equatorial sea-launch platforms and a dedicated facility in the Al-Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi. Strategic partnerships with Etihad Aerospace and YahSat (Yahsat) anchor the commercial layer.
| Region | Middle East |
| Country | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates |
| Coordinates | 24.4539° N, 54.3773° E |
| Ownership | Government |
| Parent Entity | UAE Space Agency + Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre |
| Regulatory Regime | UAE Space Agency licensing (Federal Law No. 12 of 2019 on Space Sector regulation) |
| Latitude Advantage | Abu Dhabi at ~24.4°N offers modest GEO bonus; equatorial sea-launch concepts would offer near-0° launches if realized |
| Website | https://www.space.gov.ae/ |
Active Users
Strategic Value
Sovereign launch is the missing piece in UAE's otherwise mature space stack (manufacturing, missions, astronauts, telecom). Commercial Space42 (Bayanat + Yahsat merger, 2024) and growing private investor base via Mubadala signal long-term capital availability.
Recent Activity
Space42 listed on Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange Oct 2024 (Yahsat + Bayanat merger); UAE Space Agency announced expanded launch-capability roadmap 2024-2025.