Tech Turkey space race gains pace with Somalia launch facility By Pramod Kumar December 19, 2024, 10:13 AM Unsplash.com/nader saremi The rocket facility in Somalia aligns with Turkey’s 10-year space roadmap unveiled in 2021 Turkey is building a rocket-launching facility in Somalia, boosting its ambition to join the global space race. The project is expected to generate jobs and revenue, Bloomberg reported, citing Somalia president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. “I personally believe that the importance of Somalia hosting a launchpad for Turkish satellites is even more significant than the billions of dollars and opportunities that the project will generate,” the news agency reported Mohamud as saying. The exact location of the project has not been disclosed. No financial details were given. This initiative aligns with Turkey’s ambitious 10-year space roadmap unveiled in 2021. The plan includes missions to the moon, as well as the building of a spaceport and satellite technologies. Space42 bags $5bn contract from UAE government PIF buys Airbus’ earth observation digital platform UAE and Mitsubishi sign agreement for asteroid belt mission In August, the state-run Anadoli Agency said research and development (R&D) spending on the exploration and utilisation of space surged 146-fold over the last decade. Expenditures from the central government budget for the space sector rose from more than 9 million liras ($4.7 million) in 2013 to 1.5 billion liras ($63 million) in 2023.
Mining Ma’aden signs $1bn contracts to develop industrial cities Saudi mineral giant Ma’aden has signed three contracts worth a combined $922 million with foreign companies to develop a third phosphate fertiliser project. The majority state-owned Saudi mining company announced the agreements in a note to the Saudi bourse on Thursday, coinciding with the final day of the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh. Ma’aden is […] 3 hours ago
Tax $660m a year ‘sin tax’ target set by Kuwait Kuwait hopes to raise 200 million dinars ($660 million) a year through a “sin tax” on unhealthy products as part of tax reforms proposed by the International Monetary Fund, the country’s finance minister said on Wednesday. Noora Al-Fassam told the official Kuwaiti news agency that her ministry was working on a new law for a […] 4 hours ago
Transport Tenders issued for high speed Abu Dhabi-Dubai rail link Tenders have been issued for the design and construction of central components in a high-speed rail link between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Etihad Rail, the national rail company of the UAE, has sent out tenders for designing and constructing civil works and station packages for the line connecting the two cities as part of the […] 4 hours ago
EXCLUSIVE Aviation Wizz Air increases flights from UAE to Israel after ceasefire The budget carrier Wizz Air is increasing the number of flights between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv after the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. The airline had previously scaled back its Tel Aviv-Abu Dhabi service to four flights a week because of the conflict, down from its pre-crisis schedule of two flights a day. […] 5 hours ago
