Lessons to be learned from UAE National Space Law - For a Stable and Protected Private Investment in Space Sector

Paper number

IAC-20,E7,5,8,x61032

Author

Mr. Sethu Nandakumar Menon, United Arab Emirates

Year

2020

Abstract

Even though there are several Space Treaties signed and ratified by various nations around the world, starting from Outer Space Treaty of 1967, the importance and need of National Space Law and Policy has become furthermore tangible with the onset of Private Investment in Space sector. 

When the space treaties were drafted and executed, all the space activities where controlled and implemented by government bodies. During those days, the maximum involvement of Private companies were to act as suppliers through procurement contracts for Government space projects. With the government being the primary space project instrumentality and the same government being the signatory of space treaties, the importance and implication of National Space Laws were limited.

With the onset of Private Space Investment, the importance of regulating the space sector through National Space Laws and Regulations became imperative. Several countries have drafted and implemented National Space Laws, thereby regulating all forms of Space activities from their respective national boundaries. 

UAE National Space Law is one of the recent enactment and thereby, it has encompass all the latest requirements to safeguard UAE’s Treaty obligations as well as stipulating the regulatory mechanism required for supporting Private companies that would be investing in UAE’s space activities. It is a general understanding that any private investment will be secure in a regulated environment, in which the private investor will be clear about the regulation mechanism. This paper will examine the UAE Space law in the scope of private space investments and how the space law secure and protect the private space investors by clearly defining the regulatory mechanism and its ambit. 

This paper further scrutinize the possibility of applying the basic structure of UAE’s Space Law and how the same can be utilized by other Middle East Countries for drafting their respective National Space Laws.

Abstract document

IAC-20,E7,5,8,x61032.brief.pdf

Manuscript document

(absent)