Recent Activity
Saudi Space Agency announced expanded $40B+ national plan in 2024; Neo Space Group (PIF subsidiary) launched 2024 to consolidate commercial space activity.
Investor Brief
Sovereign launch capability is a Vision 2030 signal of regional technology leadership and geostrategic positioning. Long-horizon investor opportunity tied to NEOM megaproject execution and Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) deployment.
Ownership
Parent Entity
Capex
Regulatory Regime
Latitude Advantage
Country
🇸🇦Saudi Arabia
Region
Middle East
Established
2,018
Launches / Year
0
Years Active
8
Strategic Position
24.7136° N, 46.6753° E
Red Sea coast candidate sites at ~22-27°N would offer modest GEO bonus vs. mid-latitude sites; not equatorial-class
About
Saudi Arabia announced a $40B+ national space sector investment plan in 2024 covering satellite manufacturing, ground stations, and a future domestic launch capability. The Saudi Space Agency (SSA, established 2018) and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) lead the initiative, with the Red Sea coast and the NEOM megaproject region under consideration as candidate spaceport sites for their near-equatorial latitude and clear eastward overwater azimuth. Strategic partnerships with China's CASC and discussions with Russia's Roscosmos have been reported, alongside Western commercial cooperation through Axiom Space (which carried two Saudi astronauts to the ISS on Axiom-2 in May 2023).
Key Features
Part of Saudi Vision 2030 economic diversification away from oil
$40B+ aggregate space sector investment plan announced 2024 (includes satellites, ground stations, R&D — not all spaceport)
Red Sea coast offers ~22-27°N latitude with clear eastward overwater trajectories
Strategic partnerships under discussion with China CASC, Russia Roscosmos, and Western commercial providers
First Saudi citizens to reach orbit since 1985: Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al-Qarni flew Axiom-2 in May 2023
Rockets That Launch Here
Companies Operating Here
Orbit Types
Notable Launches
No domestic orbital launches to date — site is pre-construction
Axiom-2 (May 2023) — First Saudi astronauts to ISS (launched from KSC, not Saudi soil)
SaudiSat constellation built domestically but launched on foreign rockets