Data Mining and Visualization of Space Technology Research Trends in the Arab World

Abstract

Space exploration has become a crucial field in recent years, with many countries investing heavily in research and development to enhance their capabilities. Nevertheless, there has been a lack of research on the trends and advancements in aerospace research in the Arab world. This study aims to address this gap by conducting a bibliometric analysis of scientific publications using the Scopus database. The analyzed data covers the period from 1980 to 2022 and focuses on identifying the historical foundations, evolution, and emergence of space programs through citation, occurrence, collaboration, and clustering. The United Arab Emirates is found to be the most active country in terms of publications, followed by Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The results indicate that the majority of the publications are centered on remote sensing and the use of optical systems in space exploration. This study provides valuable insights into technological innovation in the aerospace sector in the Arab world and highlights potential research directions for future studies.