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The Arab Satellite Communications Organization – Arabsat – held a board meeting in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on 11-12 April 2016.
The board meeting involved directors from nine Arab League countries who are elected annually. The Arabsat board meets every three months.
Arabsat was founded in 1976 by the Arab League, which consists of 21 member states, and is headquartered in Riyadh, and operates two satellite ground control stations based Riyadh and Tunis, Tunisia.
The founding mission statement of Arabsat is to “Connect Arab societies and the world by providing reliable telecommunications services in harmony with Arab values and culture.”
Currently, Arabsat owns and operates six satellites located in three geostationary orbital positions at 20, 26, and 30.5 degrees East respectively providing the full spectrum of broadcasting and telecommunications services across the Middle East.
The board meeting in Riyadh focused on closing Arabsat’s financial account for 2015, the final touches of the board’s annual report, and preparations for the organization’s general assembly to be held in Riyadh on 28 April 2016.
Arabsat recently completed contracts for its 6th generation fleet of satellites, with the first expected to be launched sometime in 2017.
