The potential partnership with the Saudi science center was sparked by US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia James Smith, who lives in Salem. After he chose science and technology as the theme for an annual celebration held at the embassy, officials with the Concord discovery center were invited to put together an exhibit on space exploration and traveled to Saudi Arabia in late March to participate.

While there, discovery center Commissioner Erle Pierce sat down with the director of the science center, which is being built in Riyadh. Pierce said Saudi officials were particularly intrigued with the “Real People, Amazing Jobs” kiosks in many of the discovery center’s galleries.

For example, a gallery about the tools used to capture images of Earth features a life-sized cutout of a weather forecaster to show how an interest in science, technology or math can lead to many careers, and not just as an astronaut.

“That’s the message throughout the center, which not only helps with inspiring students, but it helps with work force development,” Pierce said. Though the two centers have similar missions, Pierce said they employ different approaches. Saudi officials told him they are more focused on combining entertainment with education.

Officials have discussed setting up video conferencing systems so students in both countries could participate in the “astronomy bowl” competitions the discovery center holds. Pierce envisions showing the same night sky image at both planetariums and having students compete to identify constellations and other features.

Jeanne Gerulskis, the discovery center’s executive director, said the collaboration makes sense because much of the history of astronomy comes from the Arab world. She said she is looking forward to delving more into that history, and to having New Hampshire children communicate with youngsters in Saudi Arabia. “Since we deal with space, which is pretty universal, it’s really nice to be going beyond our boundaries,” she said.

There is a financial component as well. Pierce said the discovery center would like to become a resource for teachers not just in New Hampshire but around the country, but has had trouble attracting financial support from out-of-state corporations. One major oil company, for example, has turned down the center’s requests because it doesn’t have employees in the area.

“Perhaps if we had a collaboration with a foreign country where American businesses would like to do business, maybe they would think it would be a good thing to help sponsor some of these programs,” he said. “If we add an international flavor, and they happen to be doing business in Saudi Arabia, is there some benefit to them to sponsor a program that will benefit both an American and a Saudi science center?”

One of the speakers at the embassy event in March was the head of Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities Prince Sultan bin Salman, who flew aboard the shuttle Discovery in 1985 and knew Christa McAuliffe, the New Hampshire teacher who was killed along with six others aboard the Challenger shuttle in 1986.

The discovery center is named for her, and for Alan Shepard, the first American in space, who also was from New Hampshire.