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Roscosmos chief discusses space cooperation with Saudi Arabia

In April, Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud visited Russia’s Flight Control Center and stated that the Russian experience of outer space exploration would be included in the Saudi national space strategy that was due to be approved this year
Head of Russia’s State Space Corporation Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin Sergei Savostyanov/TASS
Head of Russia’s State Space Corporation Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin
© Sergei Savostyanov/TASS

DUBAI /UAE/, November 18. /TASS/. Head of Russia’s State Space Corporation Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin discussed possible cooperation in manned space flights with the Saudi King’s son Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Roscosmos chief said at the Dubai Airshow 2019 on Monday.

"They are due to set up [the space] agency and officially adopt priorities in space activity, within which they will prescribe their interests in the manned launch and then we will learn about that in greater detail. Yesterday, we discussed this issue with the Saudi King’s elder son, the prince and the former astronaut," the Roscosmos chief said.

This "may relate to the flight by a Saudi cosmonaut," Rogozin said, adding that only the Space Commission existed in Saudi Arabia now while the Saudi Space Agency would be set up by the end of the year.

In April, Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud visited Russia’s Flight Control Center and stated that the Russian experience of outer space exploration would be included in the Saudi national space strategy that was due to be approved this year.

The Dubai Airshow 2019 runs in Dubai (the United Arab Emirates) on November 17-21. Russia’s state arms seller Rosoboronexport acts as the organizer of the integrated Russian exposition on a total area of over 750 square meters. Apart from the state hi-tech corporation Rostec and Rosoboronexport, eight leading Russian defense manufacturers will present their armament and military hardware at the Dubai air show, including the United Aircraft Corporation, the Russian Helicopters rotorcraft producer, the United Engine-Making Corporation, the High-Precision Weapons Research and Production Association, the Almaz-Antey Group, the Shvabe Holding Company and other entities.