MUSCAT, DEC 20
The Sultanate of Oman, represented by the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, has announced that it will host the second edition of the Middle East Space Conference in January 2026, in collaboration with space consulting firm Novaspace.
According to a statement issued by Novaspace, the conference will take place from January 26 to 28, 2026 and will address the strategic, operational and enabling dimensions of space development in the Middle East.
The event is expected to bring together policymakers, industry leaders, investors and technical experts from across the region and around the world.
The inaugural edition of the conference in 2024 attracted more than 400 global and regional participants and showcased 25 local and international space companies. It also coincided with several major sector announcements.
Among them was the establishment of Spacerz, a satellite manufacturing company launched by ETCO Space in partnership with Polish satellite manufacturer SatRev and a Polish technology firm, both collaborators on the Aman-1 satellite. The company focuses on satellite manufacturing in Oman and also offers space launch services.
Another key announcement was the launch of MENA’s first spaceport by a subsidiary of the National Aerospace Services Company, under the name Etlaq. Located in Al Duqm, construction of the spaceport has already begun and it is scheduled to become fully operational by 2027.
Earlier this year, the company also launched a pilot experimental rocket initiative — the Genesis Programme — aimed at developing Oman’s space launch capabilities and fostering a national space launch culture ahead of full-scale commercial operations.
The hosting of the first edition of the conference in 2024 formed part of the Ministry’s initiatives under the National Space Programme, which was launched in 2023. The 10-year framework has identified economic diversification as a key pillar behind boosting the sector, which currently contributes 0.05% to the local GDP with a market value of $155 million as of 2021.
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