Rome: As part of the official visit of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to the Italian Republic, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Bahrain Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The agreement aims to strengthen bilateral cooperation in peaceful space exploration, capacity building, and the implementation of joint projects, reflecting the strength of the strategic relations between the two countries.
According to Bahrain News Agency, Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim Al Aseeri, Chief Executive Officer of the Bahrain Space Agency, emphasized that the MoU builds on nearly eight years of close cooperation between the two agencies. He noted it as a significant step toward enhancing Bahrain's presence in the global space industry. He highlighted the role of space diplomacy in fostering international cooperation, building bridges of understanding between countries, and opening new horizons for economic and technological opportunities, benefiting both countries' economies through the transfer and localization of advanced knowledge and technologies.
The signing of this MoU culminates the ongoing cooperation since 2018, which has yielded notable outcomes, such as Bahrain's successful hosting of the sixth edition of the International Space Forum at the Ministerial Level (Gulf Chapter) in July 2024. This event, under the theme "Space as a Game-Changer in Diplomacy and Economic Development in the Region," was the first of its kind in the Gulf region. It represented a major milestone in Bahrain's regional and international space cooperation and a tangible outcome of its partnership with the Italian Space Agency.