Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — South Africa's Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Dr Bonginkosi Blade Nzimande announced that his country and Saudi Arabia are close to signing a new memorandum of understanding in the field of space industry, which will be implemented by the space agencies from both the countries.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, he said that South Africa is keen to expand cooperation with the Kingdom in the field of developing joint satellites. He pointed out that this cooperation coincides with Saudi Arabia’s efforts to enhance its capabilities in space sciences, including the recent establishment of the Space Weather Center in South Africa.

Nzimande said that the space agencies of South Africa and Saudi Arabia have agreed to support the development of their respective national space capabilities, through the establishment of a dedicated program to promote the space industry, facilitating commercial arrangements between the two countries.

Nzimande, who arrived in Riyadh to attend the Global AI Summit, revealed that talks he held with Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Eng. Abdullah Al-Swaha on Wednesday, laid out a general framework for enhancing bilateral cooperation and sharing best practices in the field of AI. "Opportunities for dialogue on relevant policies were also explored, with the aim of expanding cooperation in this area," he added.