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Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
July 16, 2022
The United States welcomes Saudi Arabi’s signing of the Artemis Accords on July 14, affirming its commitment to safe, sustainable, and responsible space exploration. Mohammed Saud al-Tamimi, CEO of the Saudi Space Commission, signed the Accords on behalf of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and was joined during a virtual ceremony by Her Royal Highness Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Ambassador to the United States, Abdullah bin Amer al-Swaha, Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Bill Nelson, Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Martina Strong, Chargé d’Affaires for the United States Mission to Saudi Arabia, and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Jennifer R. Littlejohn from the Department of State Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs.
The principles of the Artemis Accords, grounded in the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, advance the NASA-led Artemis program, which will put the first woman and first person of color on the Moon and prepare the way for a human mission to Mars. Artemis relies on a broad and diverse international coalition, working together to achieve an historic and ambitious vision for human space exploration.
As Accords signatories, state actors advance responsible behavior in outer space, including through the registration of space objects, deconfliction of activities, release of scientific data, and provision of emergency assistance. Together, signatories will reduce uncertainty and increase the safety of space operations to facilitate the sustainable use of space to the benefit of all humankind.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the 21st nation to sign the Accords, joining Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, France, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, Singapore, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Saudi Arabia is the seventh nation to sign the Artemis Accords since January 2022 and the fourth Middle Eastern nation to join.
For further information on the Artemis Accords, visit https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis-accords/index.html.
For media inquiries, please contact OES-PA-DG@state.gov.
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