News

Saudi Arabia To Send First Female Astronaut Into Space By 2023

Saudi Arabia will begin a training program that will include female astronauts as part of a wider space strategy.

Published

2 years ago

September 24, 2022

Nour Nasir

saudi arabia to send first female astronaut into space by 2023

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As part of a broader plan to promote science and technology, Saudi Arabia’s space commission is partnering with Houston-based company Axiom Space, which includes a program to send the first female Saudi astronaut out of the earth’s atmosphere by 2023.

The news of this gender-breaking program comes after 2018’s landmark decision to lift the ban on women driving in the Kingdom, forming part of the ambitious Vision 2030 plan.

saudi arabia space commission axiom space partnership

“The Saudi Astronaut Program, an integral part of the Kingdom’s ambitious Vision 2030, will send Saudi astronauts into space to help better serve humanity. One of the astronauts will be a Saudi woman, whose mission to space will represent a historical first for the Kingdom,” says the Saudi Space Commission.

The program follows the same direction taken by the UAE in recent years, from the launch of the Mars Hope Probe in 2021 and the Mars Science City plan, as well as the ambitious goal of sending a lunar rover to the moon in November this year.

Also Read: Saudi Arabia Reveals Plans To Build The City Of The Future

“Space belongs to all of humanity, which is one of the reasons Axiom Space is pleased to welcome our new partnership with the Saudi Space Commission to train and fly Saudi astronauts, including the first female Saudi astronaut,” says Michael Suffredini, President and CEO of Axiom Space.

Saudi Arabia will reveal the full extent of its interplanetary program in the coming months in the National Space Strategy. The Kingdom is no stranger to space exploration, as Saudi prince Sultan Ibn Salman Al Saud was the first Muslim and Arab to leave the earth’s atmosphere way back in 1985 with NASA’s Discovery mission.

News

Mamo Completes $3.4M Funding Round To Enhance Fintech Services

The startup will use the influx of cash to expand into Saudi Arabia and across the wider GCC while improving its product offering.

Published

1 day ago

July 25, 2024

Nour Nasir

Mamo

UAE-based fintech Mamo has announced the completion of a $3.4 million funding round that will help the startup extend its market presence and improve its product offering. Investors included 4DX Ventures, the Dubai Future District Fund and Cyfr Capital.

Mamo’s platform offers “payment collection, corporate cards and expense management” to help small and medium-sized businesses consolidate and streamline their operations. With the latest influx of capital, Mamo will further develop its comprehensive suite of services and begin testing its product lines in Saudi Arabia, further extending its footprint across the GCC.

Imad Gharazeddine, co-founder and CEO of Mamo, stated: “We’ve been in the market for a while now and are incredibly proud of what our team has achieved. The holistic and expansive nature of our product offering has helped us continue to grow sustainably. This additional funding will allow us to reach our medium-term goals even faster. The support from new and existing investors is a testament to our strong expertise and the ability to deliver on our customer promise”.

Daniel Marlo, General Partner of lead investor 4DX Ventures, added: “We have immense trust in Imad’s vision, leadership and Mamo’s innovative approach to provide a user-friendly and comprehensive financial solution for SMEs that makes financial management more accessible and efficient. We are proud to partner with them and support their mission”.

Also Read: A Guide To Digital Payment Methods In The Middle East

Amer Fatayer, Managing Director of Dubai Future District Fund’s investment team, also commented: “Mamo’s localized product lines serve as an infrastructure for SME payments and spend management in UAE, a segment that is underserved by the country’s current banking infrastructure. The team has taken a product-first approach to consolidating SMEs’ financial journeys and building a fintech solution deeply embedded in a business’s core operations”.

To date, Mamo has raised around $13 million in investment funding and now boasts a team of 30 people. The company’s intuitive financial services platform has allowed over 1,000 businesses to consolidate their financial operations and significantly reduce payment fees.