Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) and Deimos Space UK Ltd announced that they plan to proceed with a project co-funded by MBRSC, Deimos Space and the UK Space Agency's International Partnership Space Program (IPSP). Based on this announcement the UK space agency signed an agreement with Deimos Space UK Ltd with the MBRSC as their International Partnership Space Program (IPSP) Partner. The project named ‘SAFIY' (Smart Application for Feature extraction & 3D modeling using high- resolution satellite Imagery) will use Earth Observation (EO) data to monitor, and detect changes in vegetation, water, road networks and buildings in support of the Dubai “smart government” initiative. This project will develop mapping applications that utilize DubaiSat-2 and Deimos-2 high resolution optical data to improve the efficiency and accuracy of many routine tasks carried out by Government agencies. Yousuf Hamad Al Shaibani, Director General, MBRSC, said “the Deimos Space UK Ltd and MBRSC announcement further asserted the importance of the cooperation between different parties worldwide in space industry.” He added: “UAE is investing in this sector due to its benefits to governments and its important role in the global economy. With the recent announcement of the UAE's mission to Mars, we are sending a clear message that UAE is serious about space exploration.” — SG
