The Saudi Arabian Space Agency (SSA) has signed a collaborative agreement with the World Economic Forum (WEF) to establish a new wing of the Saudi Space Agency named the Center for Space Futures. The centre has been alternatively described as a Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and is expected to have its grand opening later this year.

Operating in tandem with the existing national C4IR Saudi Arabia centre, it will be the first in the C4IR network to be exclusively concerned with space matters in order to advance Saudi Vision 2030.

There are hopes that this new initiative will demonstrate that space is not the exclusive domain of a few select countries, but rather something that should be available for the entire international population to benefit from. The centre specifically aims to facilitate conversion between public and private sectors on space collaboration, generating contributions to accelerate the advancement of space technology while allowing the WEF to organise the process.

Officials of the SSA have made statements of commitment to harnessing the potential of the space industry and cross-sector engagement in order to create a sustainable global economy.

The Center for Space Futures will join 19 other centres which make up the C4IR network, a platform for public-private sector collaboration, aiming to maximise technological benefits while minimising the risks.