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RIYADH: A Saudi delegation is taking part in the fourth G20 Space Economy Leaders Meeting, which began on Thursday in Bengaluru, India.

Mohammed Al-Tamimi, CEO of the Saudi Space Agency, is leading the Kingdom’s team at the two-day gathering, during which participants will discuss ways to enhance the role of the space economy and its tangible contributions to efforts to address global challenges and achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The delegates include representatives of space agencies and related organizations from G20 member states, along with invited guests from other countries and the heads of international and regional organizations.

Speaking during the meeting, Al-Tamimi said the spirit of cooperation and optimism that is entrenched in the annual gathering has become the shared trait of global space activities and endeavors. It is a trait that will continue to shape humanity’s long-term future in terms of how it makes use of the space sector and its applications, he added.

He also extended thanks to authorities in India and officials from the Indian Space Research Organization for hosting the important meeting.

The Kingdom is working to promote the cooperative goals of the meeting, in line with its commitments as a signatory to the Artemis Accords, which serve as a guide for sustainable civil space exploration, and its contributions to efforts to implement the practical aspects of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, Al-Tamimi said.

The annual meeting is one of the results of the Kingdom’s presidency of the G20 in 2020, during which it was placed on the group’s agenda for the first time in an effort to enhance space-related cooperation between countries to maximize the benefits of the space economy and the utilization of associated data to support sustainable development, food security and global health.