saudi arabia

On 5 January 2023, Saudi Arabia gave notice to the United Nations of its withdrawal from the Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies (the “Moon Agreement”), to take effect on 5 January 2024.  This marks the first time any State has withdrawn from any of the five “United Nations Space Treaties”, the most widely accepted of which is the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies (the “Outer Space Treaty”). As the withdrawal follows Saudi Arabia’s signing of the Artemis Accords with the United States, there is speculation that the withdrawal is...