Middle East

Qatar Airways has announced a collaboration with Starlink and will roll out a complimentary high-speed, low-latency internet connectivity experience onboard specific aircraft and routes as a result. Once the service is active, passengers will be able to enjoy ultra-fast Wi-Fi speeds of up to 350 Megabits per second enabling various internet-based services. 

Eutelsat Communications has announced a multi-year multi-million commitment with Marlink for GEO High Throughput Ku-band capacity on its EUTELSAT 10B satellite. The satellite covers Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, as well as critical maritime routes. This new agreement comes in addition to existing partnerships previously signed between Marlink and Eutelsat Group for maritime connectivity across the globe.

In the first episode of season 2 of Space Café Israel, Meidad Pariente is in conversation with Uri Oron, the Director General of ISA – the Israel Space Agency. Could you share something personal that has yet to make it onto your LinkedIn profile, offering us a glimpse into a lesser-known aspect of your life? My LinkedIn page could be more appealing. I became a fighter pilot because I wanted to be an astronaut. I was born in a kibbutz.

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) of the United Arab Emirates are opening a new round of their joint Payload Hosting Initiative (PHI) programme. Through PHI, each team can submit a proposal of a maximum Three Units (3U) in size. The maximum space for the combined awardees will be Five Units (5U) in a Twelve Unit (12U) satellite platform provided by MBRSC. 

Planetek Italia announced on the 20th of September its latest contract win in Saudi Arabia. It will collaborate with its Saudi partner, Geosystems Middle East (GeosystemsME) to provide monitoring services based on Earth Observation (EO) for afforestation initiatives in the Kingdom. 

Yahsat Government Solutions (“YGS”), the Government services arm of the Al Yah Satellite Communications Company PJSC, have announced that the UAE Government granted the company an Authorization to Proceed (“ATP”) to provide satellite capacity and manage services for 17 years. Furthermore, this mandate, valued at AED 18.7 billion (USD 5.1 billion), combines related operations, maintenance and technology management services of ground segment satellite systems and terminals currently provided under a separate contract.

Euroconsult, a global space and satellite strategy consulting and market intelligence firm in collaboration with The Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology of Oman (MTCIT), have announced that it will hold a conference to promote space in the Middle East and the country’s role as a strategic gateway for attracting investments in space applications and technologies into the region. The conference will run from January 8th-10th next year. 

In August 2023, start-ups in the Middle East and North Africa region raised over $76 million through 18 deals, reports ArabNews. In the broader Middle East, Africa and Pakistan region $139 million has been raised across 46 deals in the same period according to venture data research firm MAGNiTT. 

Join us at our next Space Café Israel by Meidad Pariente, - Season 2 - Episode 1, where we have the incredible honor of hosting none other than Uri Oron, the Director General of ISA - the Israel Space Agency! Sky's No Limit: Israel's Trailblazing Odyssey in Space! With a distinguished career spanning over 30 years at the IAF, Uri's vast experience includes serving as the head of the IAF Intelligence Division.

NASA has launched an international crew of four representing four countries into orbit following a successful launch to the International Space Station at 3:27 a.m. EDT Saturday, Aug. 26, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Agency’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission is the seventh commercial crew rotation mission for NASA.