Total spending in the UAE space economy rose by 27.1 percent to reach AED 5.52 billion, according to the 2025 Space Economic Survey released by the UAE Space Agency in collaboration with the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre (FCSC). Announced at the Space Economic Survey Workshop in Dubai, the survey assessed economic activity during 2024.
Commercial sector expenditure accounted for 48 percent of total spending across the industry, reaching AED 2.64 billion. According to the UAE Space Agency, growth in economic value added outpaced spending growth by more than two to one, aligning with targets under the National Space Strategy 2031 to place the country among the world's top ten space economies.
The survey documented substantial human capital expansion, with 1,495 UAE nationals employed in the space industry, an increase of 27.9 percent compared with the previous survey. Workers aged 15 to 35 numbered 1,333, representing a 29.5 percent rise, while female employment grew by 83.9 percent, bringing women's share of the sector's total workforce to 33.5 percent.
The workshop also initiated the 2026 edition of the survey to evaluate performance during 2025. Data collection will continue until December 2026, with findings scheduled for release in October 2027.
Sources
- UrduPoint · 2026-10-13
