UAE National Space Law: Ambit of ‘Authorization & Supervision’ for a Stable and Protected Private Space Activities

Paper number

IAC-23,E7,5,1,x80347

Author

Mr. Sethu Nandakumar Menon, University of Vienna, United Arab Emirates

Year

2023

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 Activities, the importance of regulating, authorizing and supervising 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 authorizing and supervising as well as supporting Private companies that would be acting 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 authorizing and supervisory mechanism. This paper will examine the UAE Space law in the scope of private space activities and how the space law secure and protect the private space actors, by clearly defining the Authorization and Supervisory 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 countries for drafting their respective National Space Laws.

Abstract document

IAC-23,E7,5,1,x80347.brief.pdf

Manuscript document

(absent)