Geopolitics in orbit: What Gulf moonshots mean for Washington

For the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, the roadway to the future leads all the way to space.

The extraterrestrial frontier represents the potential of securing long-term economic resilience, global prestige, and an influential role in the next era of international competition and cooperation. Space is a critical sector for technological advancement and increased geopolitical influence, offering both countries a relatively untapped area where their influence will have a substantial impact.

To domestically develop their space sectors, both Gulf states have looked elsewhere for help, with the most significant collaborations coming from the United States, Russia, and China.

If Washington wants to ensure that Russia-China-Gulf space partnerships don’t outweigh US-Gulf cooperation, it needs to effectively court the UAE and Saudi Arabia, leveraging partnerships with both the public and private sectors to participate in this pursuit.

UAE and KSA set their sights on space

Much like the UAE itself, its space sector is young. Established in 2014, the UAE Space Agency (UAESA) was created to promote and invest in the country’s role in space. The UAE became the first Arab nation to send an astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2019 and has since developed institutions, such as the National Space Academy, National Space Fund, and Space Economic Zones, to advance space research, technology, and commercial activities. In addition, UAESA has carried out several missions, including the Emirates Lunar Mission, Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt, and Emirates Mars Mission. The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) was also created in 2006, becoming a prominent scientific and technological hub regarding the UAE space industry. These initiatives support the UAE’s broader vision of becoming a leader on the global stage and align with its goals of diversification.

Even younger is the Saudi Space Agency (SSA), which was founded in 2018. Its objectives are very similar to those of UAESA and align with Saudi Vision 2030: to drive innovation, foster collaboration, and position Saudi Arabia as a leader in the international space economy and on the global stage. In 2023, SSA sent two Saudi astronauts, including the first female, to the ISS along with the creation of the first sustainable Human Space Flight program. Despite these developments, Saudi Arabia still lags behind its regional competitors and global powers and has a long way to go if it wants to contend in the space sector. Collaboration can help the Kingdom achieve this progress.

These efforts align with a broader vision.

The historically oil-based economies in the Gulf have prioritized diversification and political elevation in the emerging multi-polar world order. Both countries have invested in non-oil sectors to build a knowledge-based and sustainable economy.

In addition to developing alternative revenue streams, both countries are looking to amplify their geopolitical influence, and these investments signal a desire to play a role both in the region and beyond.

Specifically, the UAE and Saudi Arabia have prioritized balancing relations between Eastern and Western powers, focusing on maintaining neutrality in global conflicts, which is reflected in their space industries.

A strong US-Gulf partnership

The United States has been collaborating with both the UAE and Saudi Arabia on their space industries, but further cooperation is needed to solidify Washington’s competitive leadership.

At a foundational level, the UAE and the United States signed the Artemis Accords in 2020, which outlined a set of principles on space exploration cooperation. Saudi Arabia joined the Accords in 2022 and further strengthened its partnership with NASA in 2024 through an extensive framework. Both countries signing onto the Accords signifies a desire to boost their geopolitical influence and compete with major global players.

Washington should focus on strengthening NASA’s relationships with UAESA and SSA beyond signed agreements through increased collaboration on astronaut training, future space policy discussions, and joint missions. For example, Saudi Arabia sent two of its astronauts to the ISS on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from a NASA space center.

Collaboration between the UAE and the US has been much more extensive. Specifically, the UAE hosted the Abu Dhabi Space Debate in 2024, focusing on key topics in the space industry, and invited US officials and businesspeople to share ideas and gain valuable insights. The two countries also collaborated on the assembly of the UAE’s landmark Hope Probe mission to Mars, trained astronauts together in the United States, and conducted experiments simulating Mars to advance space medicine and technology.

This collaboration with the United States, one of the most advanced countries regarding the space sector, signals a push for greater influence in space. More recently, MBRSC announced in 2024 that it would be operating an airlock and contributing engineering support for Gateway, the first space station to orbit the Moon. In return, NASA offered the UAE an opportunity to fly an Emirati astronaut to Gateway on a future Artemis mission.

The private sector can also play a key role in this cooperation, as US firms operating in the space and technology sectors can engage both countries’ space agencies and private sectors through joint ventures, collaborative research, and technology sharing. While US-Gulf private sector collaboration exists, it requires further expansion. For example, Axiom Space, an American corporation, and Burjeel Holdings PLC, an Emirati firm, are combining to undertake scientific research and test new technologies in space. In addition, Marlan Space, a UAE-based firm, and Loft Orbital, an American corporation, created Orbitworks as a joint venture, which became the Middle East’s first commercial satellite integrator. These private collaborations highlight the significance of Saudi Arabia and the UAE’s commitment to further engagement on the global stage, as the private sector is also becoming increasingly involved.

These engagements, ranging from astronaut training, signed agreements, joint missions, and space policy dialogues, provide Washington with four main opportunities.

Strategic and security advantages are a critical gain for the United States, as building upon this space partnership will improve Washington’s influence in the region and fortify defense and intelligence cooperation. In addition, US President Donald Trump has consistently viewed the UAE and Saudi Arabia as business partners, and these countries’ investments in space will continue to foster collaboration with US aerospace companies, helping lead to job creation, research funding, and technology exports. This involvement also generates technological and scientific benefits for the United States, as these joint missions, satellite programs, and research initiatives will expand the country’s space capabilities. This innovation will accelerate due to the partnership with the UAE and Saudi Arabia while simultaneously creating shared costs and risks. Finally, diplomacy in the space sector will foster a stronger connection between the United States and the two Gulf states, furthering Washington’s soft power and reinforcing these long-term alliances.

Turning to Russia and China for space collaboration

Russia and China are increasingly becoming Washington’s competitors in engaging the UAE and Saudi Arabia’s space ambitions.

In 2021, Saudi astronauts trained in Moscow for a potential joint mission, while the UAE’s first astronaut, Hazzaa AlMansoori, reached the ISS in 2019 aboard a Russian Soyuz after training in Moscow. The UAE has also hosted Roscosmos officials at major space events, reinforcing its commitment to collaboration.

China, for its part, is in talks with the Saudis on satellite software transfer. In 2018, Saudi Arabia contributed an optical camera to Beijing’s lunar relay satellite. The UAE joined China’s International Lunar Research Station the same year, and in 2023, Chinese firm, Origin Space, launched a joint research and development center in Abu Dhabi. A planned UAE rover on China’s Chang’e-7 mission was canceled due to US export controls, highlighting intensifying global space competition as Washington seeks to curb Beijing and Moscow’s influence.

As the world becomes increasingly multipolar, China and Russia are actively ramping up efforts to counter US influence in the Middle East and North Africa. By fortifying its relationship with the Gulf, the United States could work to build on a vital partnership, especially regarding space. Both the UAE and Saudi Arabia have invested in their space programs, and Russia and China have made significant efforts to deepen their relationships by emphasizing their commitment to these programs.  

By engaging with both the UAE and KSA in space collaboration, Washington can continue to maintain its geopolitical foothold while simultaneously hindering Russian and Chinese ambitions to expand their regional influence. If the United States fails to engage regarding space, Russia and China will step up to fill this vacuum and pull the UAE and Saudi Arabia away from the West. This would allow both regional powers to reap the benefits of the scientific and economic advances resulting from space collaboration with the Gulf, and further reduce US influence both in space and on the ground.

The United States must counterbalance this cooperation by engaging both Gulf states through public and private sector collaboration, reinforcing its commitment to their space ambitions, economic growth, and global influence. As Washington’s influence changes on a multipolar world stage, it’s clear that space collaboration has all-too-earthly impacts.

Isabella Torre is a young global professional at the ’s Rafik Hariri Center and Middle East Programs. She is a senior at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service studying global business and Arabic.

Image: Attendees talk during an event to mark Hope Probe’s entering the orbit of Mars, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, February 9, 2021. REUTERS/Christopher Pike