UAE leads as Middle East space market reaches $18bn, reveals report

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The Middle East and Africa (MEA) space market is valued at $18bn, with the UAE holding a 40-45 per cent market share, according to a new report from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) titled Governments in Space: A universe of opportunities.

The report highlights the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar as the core of the region’s civil space investments, which are collectively driving the GCC’s emergence as a hub for space innovation.

The report notes the UAE’s strategic commitment to space, with a $443m investment in civil space for 2024, corresponding to approximately 40-45 per cent of government spending across the MEA region.

UAE poised to capture half of the region’s downstream services market

The country is also positioned to capture more than 50 per cent of the region’s downstream services market, which accounts for about 70 per cent of the global space market.

Saudi Arabia is also making significant strides, with approximately $220m invested in civil space activities in 2024, representing an estimated 20-25 per cent share of government spending in the MEA region.

Qatar has a comparable investment of $220m, contributing around 5 per cent of the market today.

All three markets are projected to grow at or above the global space economy compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5 per cent through 2033, underscoring the region’s long-term commitment.

Faisal Hamady, MD and partner at BCG, said the UAE’s position “reflects a decade-plus commitment to strategic space investments that balance public sector vision with private sector innovation.”

He added that the UAE’s investment advantage in downstream services, which make up most of the global market, is a clear example of how sustained government backing translates to market leadership.

ROI from space programmes

The report identifies potential for significant return on investment from the UAE’s flagship space programmes, including the MBZ-SAT, Hope Probe, and Arab 813 initiatives, with estimated ROI potentially reaching 3-4x.

These programmes align with six core success factors identified in BCG’s analysis: long-term strategic commitment, strategic public-private partnerships, a failure-tolerant culture, and global engagement.

Thibault Werle, MD and partner at BCG, emphasised that the GCC’s success in the space industry requires “simultaneous excellence across multiple dimensions, financial commitment, partnership strategy, risk management, and policy integration, while maintaining patience for long-term returns.”

The BCG report identifies digital-space policy integration as a critical success factor and recommends that emerging space nations focus on niche excellence, leverage international partnerships, and invest in long-term talent development.

For the UAE and Saudi Arabia, the emphasis shifts to accelerating public-private partnerships and fostering innovation clusters.