UAE Emerges as a Global Hub for Astronaut Training and Space Innovation; Led by Mac Malkawi and Prabhav Sharma UAE joins a distinguished list of countries that possess the capability to prepare humans for orbital and long-duration missions.

BLINC Space Limited, led by scientist astronaut Mac Malkawi, has joined hands with AlphaX Holding, chaired by global investor Prabhav Sharma, to develop the UAE's first private astronaut training and research ecosystem.

With this initiative, the UAE joins a distinguished list of countries — including the United States, Europe, Russia, and China — that possess the capability to prepare humans for orbital and long-duration missions.

This partnership was shaped with the strategic guidance of Brooklyn Julian, Venture Partner at AlphaX Holding, and Oliver Studd, Chairman of Valhalla Network, who played an important role in aligning technical planning with capital and global partnerships. Together, the team is setting out to make the UAE a center of excellence for astronaut development and space science.

^{Image courtesy BLINC Space/AlphaX}

Shaping the Future of Space from the UAE

For Prabhav Sharma, this collaboration represents more than an investment — it is a long-term commitment to building capability.
"The UAE has already proven that when it sets a goal, it achieves it. Now, it's doing the same with space," says Sharma. "We want to make space not just a frontier for exploration but a sector that generates opportunity, knowledge, and pride here in the region."

Under Sharma's direction, AlphaX Holding has become an international investment house that bridges technology, innovation, and institutional capital.
Its role in BLINC Space reinforces the UAE's broader ambition to become an essential player in the USD 1.8 trillion global space economy expected by 2040.

^{Image courtesy BLINC Space/AlphaX}

BLINC Space: A New Foundation for Astronaut Training

The partnership's first major milestone is the creation of the Human Spaceflight Training Center, which will serve as the UAE's primary hub for astronaut readiness, space medicine, and analog research.

This facility is not just the first of its kind in the Middle East — it is also the only private astronaut training center licensed in the UAE.
In the years ahead, the center aims to train more than 250 astronauts, support government and private missions, and collaborate with NASA, ESA, and other international programs.

"This moment is about proving that the region can lead in one of the world's most complex fields," says Mac Malkawi, Founder and CEO of BLINC Space Limited.
"Our mission with the Bolden Group and Inter Astra is to build a complete astronaut training ecosystem right here in the Emirates.
Working with AlphaX adds a dimension of global reach and financial strength that will help us expand faster. The UAE is no longer observing the future of space — it's building it."

With more than a decade of astronaut training and human spaceflight experience, Malkawi brings a rare depth of technical expertise. He is well known across the U.S. aerospace sector and now leads one of the most credible private space initiatives in the region, supported by an unprecedented delegation of American space experts.

^{Image courtesy BLINC Space/AlphaX}

Global Voices Support the UAE's Leadership

The Hon. Charles F. Bolden Jr., former NASA Administrator and Major General USMC (Ret.), commended the UAE's forward momentum:

"Developing a Human Spaceflight Training Center through public-private partnerships is exactly the kind of progress that builds national capability. The UAE is setting an example for how emerging nations can take meaningful steps in the space sector."

Dr. Jeanette Epps, NASA Astronaut, echoed the sentiment:

"The UAE's commitment to human spaceflight is both inspiring and strategic. BLINC's leadership and AlphaX's support create an opportunity for the region to train the next generation of astronauts, scientists, and engineers who will shape the future of exploration."

The UAE's Steady Ascent in Space

In just over a decade, the UAE has evolved from sending its first astronaut to the International Space Station to launching the Hope Probe to Mars, and now to building infrastructure for future human missions.

"Space is the next defining frontier," says Prabhav Sharma.
"The UAE's strength lies in how it moves — thoughtfully, with vision, and with partnership. We are simply contributing to a story that the country itself is writing with purpose."

This collaboration between BLINC Space and AlphaX Holding represents the next phase of that story: one where the UAE continues its transformation from an emerging participant in the global space economy to one of its key architects.