Haitham Al-Tuwaijri has been the adviser at the Saudi Space Commission since April this year.
He gained a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from King Saud University in 1994. A year later, he attended the University of Michigan from where he obtained master’s degrees in mechanical engineering and aerospace engineering in 1997 and 2001 respectively, and a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering in 2005.
Al-Tuwaijri was a researcher at King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) until he traveled to complete his studies, and upon his return, he was appointed as an assistant research professor in 2005.
In 2010, he became the director of KACST’s Space Research Institute, and four years later was appointed director of the National Center for Remote Sensing Technology.
He was the director of the Joint Center for Earth and Space Science from 2015 until 2019, before his appointment as an adviser at the Saudi Space Commission.
Al-Tuwaijri revealed that the national space strategy, the establishment of the Saudi legal and space system, and a study on the establishment of the Saudi Space Co., would be submitted to King Salman soon.
He was speaking during an astronomy and digital space meeting to discuss a working paper titled “The Future of Space in Saudi Arabia,” held at the Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Science and Technology Center (SCITECH).
“We are waiting to submit the national space strategy to King Salman to approve it,” he said.
