The UAE Space Agency (UAESA) has unveiled a new digital licensing platform that brings the entire space licensing process to users’ smartphones. Launched ahead of GITEX Global 2025 in Dubai, the platform allows companies, investors, and start-ups in the UAE’s growing space sector to apply for and track space licences and permits entirely online using UAE PASS for secure sign-in.
The new system replaces a traditionally paper-heavy process with a streamlined four-step digital workflow: register with UAE PASS, submit an online form, undergo agency review, and receive a digital licence—complete with instant notifications and status tracking. UAESA says the initiative marks a “major milestone” in its smart transformation strategy and represents one of the world’s first end-to-end digital systems for space licensing.
According to the agency, the platform is designed to reduce bureaucracy and speed up approvals for commercial, academic, and research-based space projects. By consolidating applications and tracking into a single interface, it aims to free up time and resources for organizations working on satellite development, data platforms, or other space technologies.
UAESA granted the first digital licence through the system to Space42 during its soft launch. The company described the process as “smooth and user-friendly,” signaling that the platform is production-ready ahead of its full public debut at GITEX.
The launch aligns with the UAE’s ongoing digital government initiatives and supports the National Space Strategy by making regulatory processes faster and more transparent. It also reinforces the country’s wider vision to phase out paper-based systems, attract space-sector investment, and strengthen its position as a global hub for science, innovation, and technology.
Visitors to GITEX Global 2025 can see the new system in action at the UAESA pavilion, where the agency is showcasing live demonstrations and other upcoming space initiatives.
By integrating AI, automation, and digital identity systems such as UAE PASS, the platform reflects a broader shift in the UAE’s public sector toward efficiency and user-centric digital governance—an approach that could soon set a benchmark for international space regulation.
