Abu Dhabi – Mubasher: The French Embassy in the UAE has opened a representative office for the French space agency Centre National d’Etudes Spatiale (CNES).
Following this step, the CNES became the first foreign space agency opening a representative office in Abu Dhabi, the UAE, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.
The opening took place on Sunday during with the attendance of CNES president Jean-Yves Le Gall and director general of the UAE Space Agency Mohammed Al Ahbabi at the "Residence de France" in Abu Dhabi.
“It is a major milestone in our space cooperation and a clear sign of the new status the UAE has earned on space international stage. Between France and the UAE, I used to say that the sky is the limit. Now, I can say, the universe is the limit,” Ludovic Pouille, France's ambassador to the UAE, commented.
In 2015, France inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the UAE Space agency, becoming the first foreign country signing such a deal to enhance space cooperation between both countries.
The UAE Space Agency was opened in 2014 focusing on developing, fostering, and regulating a sustainable and world-class space sector in the UAE.
It is worth noting that the UAE's total investments in the space sector were valued at over AED 22 billion during the first half of 2018, up from AED 20 billion in 2015.
