In an event that is a milestone in empowering Arab women, Sheikha Hessa bint Ali Al Khalifa assumed the position of second deputy head of the outer space use committee for United Nations peaceful purposes (Copuos) during the 68th session of Vienna, becoming the first Muslim Arab woman to hold this high position. The appointment of Sheikha Hessa came as a culmination of the leading efforts of the Kingdom of Bahrain in the space sector, as she took over her position and delivered the Kingdom’s speech represented by the Bahrain Space Agency.
During the official speech, Sheikha Hessa reviewed Bahrain’s achievements in the field of space, highlighting the launch of the first Bahraini satellite “Al -Mundhir” and designed locally to monitor the land, and the completion of the second phase of the “Co₂sat” project to monitor carbon emissions in partnership with British institutions, testing artificial intelligence techniques in orbit through strategic cooperation with the Sultanate of Oman, and active participation in the Arab Conditioner initiative “813” to monitor regional climate change, and join the moon exploration projects through 3 tasks (tropical and landing), which confirms the Kingdom’s presence in efforts to explore deep space.
Sheikha Hessa confirmed, in a special statement after the session, that “her assumption of this position represents international recognition of the role of Arab women in decision -making within the high technical forums, stressing that the Bahrain Space Agency is committed to supporting peace and innovation in space, and enhancing transparency and sustainability in its policies, based on its responsibility towards future generations.”
Bahrain’s word stressed the Kingdom’s commitment to supporting United Nations initiatives such as “Space for Women” and “Space for Water”, with a focus on building the capabilities of developing countries in reaching space technologies, applying guidelines for long space sustainability, and strengthening global dialogue to manage space movement and reducing tropical waste.
It is worth noting that the appointment of Sheikha Hessa Al Khalifa came to the consensus of the member states after its nomination by the Bahrain Space Agency, in the culmination of a careful professional path in the space sector, as the recent period witnessed the transformation of the “National Space Science Authority” to the “Bahrain Space Agency”, in line with the expansion of its strategic duties. Copuos is the most prominent international committee in developing international cooperation frameworks, making Bahrain’s participation in its leadership a diplomatic and scientific achievement calculated for the Kingdom at the global level.
