The United Arab Emirates Space Agency and Israel have jointly published a call to submit joint space-based research ideas in the two countries.
Both countries invite universities and research institutes from both countries to submit proposals in the fields of agriculture and water.
The research will be based on data collected by VENS — a satellite operated by the Israeli and French space agencies that monitors vegetation and environment characteristics.
A joint Israeli-Emirati committee will select a single project to fund with $200,000 for a two-year period, which “will leverage big data analytics, informatics, and related techniques to expand humanitys collective scientific knowledge about Earth and how we can live more sustainably,” according to a statement.
“Global collaboration is key to leveraging space to protect our planet. By partnering alongside other leading nations in the space sector, we are contributing to expanding the global base of scientific knowledge to help humanity develop solutions to its greatest challenges,” said Sarah bint Yousif Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Technology and head of the UAE Space Agency.
Israel’s Science, Technology and Space Minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen Orit Farkash-Hacohen added that the project “shows how technology connects nations.”
“The VENS satellite is helping find solutions to deal with climate change. The joint research will advance common issues between Israel and the UAE, including those in the area of agritech and climate change. ”
In October Israel and the UAE finalized an agreement to collaborate on a number of space projects, including a joint launch of the “Beresheet 2” space mission to the moon, Israel’s second upcoming attempt to land an unmanned spacecraft on the lunar surface by 2024 when the countries expect to plant their flags alongside each other.
They also signed a cooperation agreement to improve scientific research, space exploration, knowledge transfer, and other areas of cooperation.
These agreements are the latest in a growing relationship between Jerusalem and Abu Dhabi, which has been in place since September 2020’s signing of the Abraham Accords. They normalize relations between Israel and the UAE. The agreements created excitement over the potential for economic collaboration, particularly in technology.
This report was contributed by Ricky Ben-David
