Abu Dhabi- India's Union Minister of State for Science & Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh, will lead the official Indian delegation to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the 'Abu Dhabi Space Debate,' a two-day international conference beginning on Monday. During this event, discussions will take place to explore avenues for bolstering bilateral space cooperation.

Dr. Jitendra Singh will represent India at the Opening Ceremony, where he will share the stage with the Israeli President, Isaac Herzog. Furthermore, he is scheduled to participate in the Ministerial Plenary session focusing on the 'Role of Foreign Policy in Facilitating Space Diplomacy and International Collaboration.' This session will also involve the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the UAE, the Foreign Minister of Bahrain, and the Minister of Advanced Technologies of Israel.

The Minister's agenda also includes delegation-level talks with Sarah Al Amiri, the UAE Minister of State for Advanced Technology and Chairperson of the UAE Space Agency. These discussions aim to identify strategies for enhancing bilateral space cooperation.

Dr. Jitendra Singh emphasized the significant potential for growth in India-UAE space collaboration, highlighting their shared commitment to expanding their joint efforts in the field. He pointed out that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the UAE Space Agency (UAESA) had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in 2016, focusing on cooperation in the exploration and peaceful use of outer space.

Furthermore, the Minister noted the successful launch of the UAE's first nanosatellite, 'Nayif-1,' designed for gathering environmental space data. This nanosatellite was launched by the PSLV from the Sriharikota spaceport.