Riyadh - Sharikat Mubasher: King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) signed a strategic partnership agreement with Japan’s ispace, a global lunar exploration company, to expand cooperation in developing lunar exploration technologies and building Saudi capabilities in this field.
The agreement, signed on the sidelines of the Saudi-Japanese Ministerial Forum, aims to design, manufacture, test, and operate advanced lunar exploration technologies, including rover systems, and to study the possibility of transporting Saudi payloads to the moon, according to the official statement.
The partnership also includes implementing initiatives to develop national capabilities in the lunar exploration field, strengthening Saudi Arabia’s growing role in shaping the science and technologies of lunar exploration.
Maryam Noah, Vice President for Future Economies Sector at KACST, stated that the partnership reflects KACST’s commitment to strengthening the Kingdom’s leadership in the fields of space and next-generation lunar exploration.
“Through our collaboration with ispace, we aim to develop advanced technologies and build national knowledge, skills, and capabilities that will contribute to shaping the future of Saudi Arabia in the space sector. This partnership also supports our mission to transform ambitious ideas into concrete results and contribute to the global space ecosystem in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030,” she added.
In turn, Takeshi Hakamada, Founder and CEO of ispace, commented: “We are honored to partner with KACST to advance Saudi Arabian lunar technology, missions, and capability. By combining KACST’s leadership and expertise in space science, space technology development and operations, with ispace’s lunar technology and mission experience, we see great potential in what can be achieved in the Kingdom.”
Moreover, the partnership aims to support the research, development, and innovation ecosystem in Saudi Arabia, promote commercial activities in the space sector at both the local and international levels, thereby achieving national aspirations and priorities.