US, Saudi Arabia sign landmark space cooperation agreement

On Tuesday, the US Department of State announced that the United States and Saudi Arabia signed a framework agreement on July 15, which "opens new possibilities for cooperation [...] on civilian space exploration and research."

The framework agreement was signed by NASA Administrator Bill Nelson on behalf of the US, and CEO of the Saudi Space Agency Mohammed bin Saud Al-Tamimi on behalf of Saudi Arabia.

The agreement signed is known as the “Framework Agreement Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Cooperation in Aeronautics and the Exploration and Use of Airspace and Outer Space for Peaceful Purposes."

According to the State Department, this agreement "will establish a legal framework to facilitate and strengthen collaboration between the two countries."

The agreement also recognizes the significance of the Artemis Accords, which was signed by the US in 2020 and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2022, further "reflecting their commitment to the transparent, safe, and responsible exploration of space."