The nascent space industry"s potential may have been helped by the crash in the Gulf States" aviation sector during the coronavirus pandemic. Long-haul hubs such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi had fallen almost silent as travel bans took hold. In 2018, the aviation sector was responsible for almost a quarter of the country"s GDP, and was expected to make nearly half by 2030 before the pandemic happened. The country has now had to look at other ways to keep its economy buoyant.