Oman News Agency
Oman has started construction at Zone 88, the Sultanate’s first scientific and economic zone committed to space industries and advanced technologies.
The project is being developed at the Special Economic Zone in Duqm and is 25 percent complete, Bahiya Al Shuaibi, founder and CEO of Global Space and Technology Company, told Duqm Economist magazine.
The zone consists of five projects: a space habitat centre, commercial space launching area, unmanned vehicles technology centre, artificial intelligence and advanced technology testing area and ground station.
The space habitat centre aims to create an environment that simulates living in space, such as on Mars and the Moon, and studies the behaviour of astronauts before joining manned space missions, serving as a training hub and supporter of scientific tourism, said Al Shuaibi.
Regionally, the Zone 88 projects will address the sector’s growing needs, including a commercial launch platform, drone technology centre, and experimentation zone, she added.
Euroconsult’s white paper, released in January 2024, estimated that the value of the Middle East space sector is expected to hit $75 billion by 2032, with spending forecast to increase by 92 percent over the next decade.
The region’s space economy has trebled in 10 years to reach an estimated $25 billion in 2023, the report said.