The Royal Commission for AlUla signs agreement to launch AlUla Manara observatory

Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan Al Saud, Governor of the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), and His Excellency Eng. Abdullah bin Amer Alswaha, the Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Space Commission and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, signed a cooperation agreement to launch the AlUla Manara observatory, which will be a premier destination for scientific discoveries, innovative research, and sustainable economic opportunities.

The launch of the observatory comes based on the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Royal Commission for AlUla. The AlUla Manara observatory will be a new landmark in the Kingdom for visitors from all over the world to enjoy an exceptional opportunity to observe the stars and watch educational shows about ancient and modern scientific discoveries.

RCU is aligned with the Saudi Space Commission in launching AlUla Manara to enhance the vision of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to have a fundamental role in the field of space and to create economic value in line with the Kingdom's aspirations in research, development, and innovation. The Saudi Space Commission confirms that the observatory will enable the Saudi space sector to achieve its quest for scientific discovery by providing the necessary infrastructure for human resources and research.

For its part, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) seeks to invest in the technologies of future economies through AlUla Manara, and to benefit from the future technologies it provides to achieve sustainable development and raise Saudi content in the space sector. KACST will use its research and innovation projects in the field of space to highlight the Kingdom's capabilities in the sector and its leadership at the regional level. KACST will also invite the scientific community locally and internationally to AlUla Manara, to see the Kingdom's scientific and research efforts in the space sector.

RCU through AlUla Manara seeks to transform AlUla into a leading global destination in innovative and educational fields such as space science and stargazing, which play a major role in transforming AlUla into the largest Living Museum in the world. AlUla Manara joins the archaeological sites and cultural centres of AlUla to support the development of the knowledge economy that will empower the people of AlUla County and attract global investment.