Arab States Deepen Space Cooperation with China for Exploration Ambitions

Arab countries are strengthening their cooperation with China in the field of satellites and space ambitions, as part of a wider effort to diversify their technological capabilities and achieve sustainable development.

Bilateral Cooperation Achievements (Oman as a Model)

• Geely Constellation: China successfully launched the sixth batch of 11 satellites on September 24, completing the first phase of the "Geely" constellation. This network of 64 satellites can provide instant communication services covering the entire Earth's surface (excluding the North and South Poles).

• Services for Omani Vessels: Based on an agreement between Oman's "Azyan Telecommunications" and China's satellite operator "Geespace," the Geely constellation will provide communication services to tens of thousands of fishing vessels in Oman by the end of this year at the earliest.

• Oman's First Satellite: Oman officially entered the space era in November of last year when "Oman-Lens" successfully launched its first registered satellite, "OL-1," in cooperation with China's "StarVision" space technology company.

• Knowledge Transfer: Majid bin Maktoum bin Rashid Al Mataani, CFO of Oman-Lens, stated that the project involved mutual technological cooperation and knowledge transfer. China trained over 50 Omani engineers in satellite technologies and space industry fundamentals, enhancing the Sultanate's independence in this domain.

Arab-Chinese Cooperation in the BeiDou Navigation System

• Cooperation Forum: Ahmed Mustafa Fahmy, Head of the Arab League Mission to China, emphasized the importance of joint work at the 5th China-Arab BeiDou Cooperation Forum, saying: "In an interconnected world, we cannot work alone."

• Practical Applications of BeiDou: The forum reviewed significant achievements of the BeiDou system in Arab countries:

  • Agriculture (Saudi Arabia and UAE): Agricultural machinery equipped with BeiDou achieved a 15% increase in crop yield through smart irrigation.

  • Ports (Dubai): BeiDou contributed to a 20% increase in container handling efficiency, reducing goods circulation time by one-third.

  • Emergency Response (Algeria): The system raised emergency response efficiency by 20% compared to traditional rescue operations, thanks to clear site imaging.

• Capacity Building: China has helped Arab countries train nearly 1,000 specialists in BeiDou application and maintenance, and establish local BeiDou application teams through joint educational programs and specialized technical training.

Further Developments

• Arab BeiDou Center: A Chinese Foreign Ministry official noted a good cooperative mechanism established based on the first Arab BeiDou center in Tunisia.

• Meteorology: The BeiDou-based meteorological system now provides services to 36 countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. In NEOM, Saudi Arabia, the system relayed data to oil extraction platforms, helping Aramco reduce losses from work suspensions by 1.2 billion Yuan.

• Fengyun Satellites: China's Fengyun meteorological satellites provide services to Oman, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the GCC, also offering emergency response services for high-resolution remote sensing data during sandstorms or extreme weather.