Space City would contribute 10% to Egypt's GDP

CAIRO – 26 December 2017: The Egyptian Parliament approved on Monday the draft law on establishing Egypt's first Space Agency to launch Egypt’s first satellite for scientific research.

During the Parliament’s session held on Monday, Egypt’s Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar told Members of the Parliament that, with the help of Japan and China, Egypt will be able to launch Egypt’s first satellite for scientific research in July 2018.

Abdel-Ghaffar said that the satellite’s control unit and three-meter-wide camera will be locally manufactured, directly after the approval of the country’s Space Agency Law, in cooperation with China and Japan; the manufacture process is expected to be completed in 2020.

The Egyptian Space Agency will be set up on Cairo-Suez road and will be devoted to manufacturing the components of the satellite and attracting all Egyptian space scientists to the space and satellite city on Cairo-Suez road.

Abdel-Ghaffar added that Egypt’s space and satellite technology city will contribute 10 percent to the national income, referring that in some countries like England the Space Agency contributes 16 percent to GDP.

In this regard, Head of Parliament’s Education Committee Gamal Shiha remarked that this satellite and agency will make Egypt join the world’s space club.

During the session, Parliament's Education and Scientific Research Committee submitted a 25 page report about the law, saying that the law aims to push Egypt forward in the area of space and satellite technology serving the country’s national security.

The agency will be affiliated to the president and will be mainly responsible for drawing up a national space technology program within the next few years.

Egypt Today presents the top 10 facts about the law:

1. The draft law for the establishment of an Egyptian Space Agency presented by the government consists of 16 articles.

2. The law aims to create a public authority called the Egyptian Space Agency, which would legally recognize and follow the orders of the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt.

3. The Agency would be headquartered in Cairo, and may have branches throughout Egypt.

4. The Agency aims to transfer, localize and develop space science and technology with a view to being able to build and launch satellites from the Egyptian territories, in order to serve the country's strategy in areas of development and national security.

5. The aim of the law is to develop the general strategy of the state in the field of space science and technology, to acquire this technology, support research, studies and educational programs in the field of space science and technology.

6. The resources and sources of the agency's funding shall be derived from appropriations provided by the state, loans and grants, donations, contributions and benefits, for the work and services performed by the agency and the return on investment of the agency's funds.

7. The agency may carry out all acts and actions that would achieve its established purpose. It may contract directly with persons, companies, banks, local and foreign bodies, taking into account the requirements of national security.

8. The Supreme Council of the Agency will be headed by the president of the Republic, and the membership of the prime minister, ministers of defense, communications, finance, scientific research, scientific production, head of general intelligence Service and Executive Director of the agency.

9. The Agency shall be governed by a Council formed by a decree from the President of the Republic, headed by the prime minister, and the membership of the minister concerned with scientific research, communications and the executive director of the agency.

10. The Agency Board of Directors shall be the responsible authority for its affairs, administration and shall exercise its powers in the manner specified in this Law.