Philippines, UAE Space Agencies Meet to Discuss Space Cooperation
Philippine Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Hjayceelyn M. Quintana (leftmost) and PH Space Agency (PhilSA) Director General (DG) Dr. Joel Joseph S. Marciano Jr. (center) discuss possible areas of space cooperation with UAE Space Agency Director General Salem Butti Salem Al Qubaisi during the two agencies’ first face-to-face meeting on the sidelines of the 72nd International Astronautical Congress (IAC) held in Dubai. (Abu Dhabi PE photo)
ABU DHABI, 02 November 2021 — Building up on their initial remote talks on 19 August 2021, Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) Director General Dr. Joel Joseph S. Marciano Jr. and UAE Space Agency Director General Salem Butti Salem Al Qubaisi had their first face-to-face meeting on 27 October 2021 to discuss bilateral space cooperation. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 72nd International Astronautical Congress (IAC) held in Dubai.
According to Philippine Ambassador to the UAE Hjayceelyn M. Quintana, “This meeting takes the Philippines and the UAE another step closer towards deeper engagement in space cooperation.” The Philippine Embassy organized the first virtual meeting between PhilSA and UAESA on 19 August 2021 on the occasion of the 47th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and the UAE. The Dubai meeting is a follow-through of the first, which further solidifies the initial commitment made by both countries to work together.
Amb. Quintana said that during the bilateral meeting, PhilSA and UAESA pledged to work towards the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding which will focus on applications of space technology in ensuring food security, mitigating natural disasters, among others, and inspiring Filipino and Emirati youth to aspire for careers in science and technology.
The PhilSA delegation was also in Dubai to participate in the Space Week at the Expo 2020 Dubai where Director General Marciano was one of the panel speakers.
Director General Marciano was also the featured speaker at the first Embassy Bangkóta Apex Speaker Series inaugurated on 29 October 2021 at the Philippine Pavilion at the World Expo 2020 in Dubai. The speaker series features high-level officials from the Philippines who will speak on topics aligned with the thematic weeks of the World Expo. During the two town hall forums, Director General Marciano provided an overview of the PhilSA and the many different applications of space technology in everyday life. The audience got a chance to see a miniature replica of micro-satellite Maya-1 which was put on display at the top of the Bangkóta Pavilion. END
Left photo: Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) Director General Dr. Joel Joseph Marciano, Jr. presents to UAE Space Agency Director General Salem Butti Salem Al Qubaisi a framed satellite image of Dubai taken from the Philippines’' Diwata 2 Satellite, while Ambassador Quintana looks on. Right photo: The Philippine delegation poses with UAE's first astronaut, Mr. Hazza Al Mansouri, (L-R) PhilSA Director Atty. Noriz Castillo, DG Marciano, Mr. Mansouri, Amb. Quintana, PhilSA Director Marc Talampas, and Consul General Marford Angeles. (Abu Dhabi PE photo)
Left photo: Director General Marciano speaking before visitors at the Philippines’ Bangkóta Pavilion at the World Expo 2020 in Dubai. Right photo: A replica of Maya-1, the Philippines’ first microsatellite, which gained a lot of attention while on display during Director General Marciano’s talk at the Bangkota. (Abu Dhabi PE photo)
For more information, visit https://www.abudhabipe.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHinUAE/.