H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, visited Thursday the office of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) in Quebec as part of his official visit to Canada, Emirates News Agency WAM reported.

He was accompanied by Dr. Ahmad bin Abdullah Humaid Belhoul Al Falasi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the UAE Space Agency; Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence; and Fahad Saeed Al Raqbani, UAE Ambassador to Canada.

H.H. Sheikh Abdullah heard a presentation given by CSA President Sylvain Laporte on the agency's work and programs.

The UAE Minister and his accompanying delegation proceeded to tour the Agency’s facilities, which were equipped with advanced systems used to contribute towards developing Canada's national space sector.

Sheikh Abdullah lauded the Canadian space program which is administered by the Agency, recognizing Canada as one of the leading industrial countries in the field of space science advanced innovations.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs also expressed the UAE’s interest to further boost cooperation with Canada in the sector, in light of Wednesday’s signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the space agencies of both countries.

Canada’s space program dates back to the post-World War II period, and the country's government agencies continued their commitment to develop and boost the progress of the sector to meet national requirements, hence making it one of the leading countries in its use of innovative technology in the field of space science and the telecommunications satellite industry.