Colonel Shlomi Sudri, general manager of Israel Aerospace Industries’ Space Division told Al Arabiya English that the United Arab Emirates is an ideal partner for partnership on space innovation and exploration and can help drive Middle East progress into the solar system.

Sudri said, following the US-brokered Abraham Accords, the peace agreement has paved the way for collaboration in science, technology – and now space.

“Dubai for us symbolizes technology and innovation on one side and on the other side international collaboration,” said Sudri, speaking to Al Arabiya English on the sidelines of the International Astronautical Congress in Dubai. “We come to Dubai to seek for international collaboration, because we think that both Israel and the UAE, are tech hubs and we are leading local and international technology.”

According to Sudri, Israel and the UAE working together can speed up the technology and innovation in the region.

“I think that both of us are relatively small countries, but with big minds,” he said.

UAE and Israel space programs

Both nations are already known for their forays into space.

Israel has experienced near-unprecedented developments in space research, advanced technologies and the expansion of its private sector in recent decades. Including becoming the eighth country in the world to successfully launch and position satellites in space.

The Emirates’ space program started in 2006 with a knowledge transfer program that saw Emirati engineers working with partners around the world to develop the UAE’s spacecraft design, engineering and manufacturing capabilities, launching a series of earth observation satellites designed and built by Emirati engineers.

The country has already marked many milestones in space with the UAE’s Hope Probe reaching the Red Planet in February – becoming only the fifth nation in history to do so.