Policy and Law

Allegedly at the request of the Turkish government, Eutelsat has ceased broadcasting two Kurdish satellite television stations in Belgium and Sweden. The Turkish government has shut down several Kurdish media outlets, to include television channels, in Turkey over the past few weeks and it would appear that it is now …

Several weeks ago SpaceWatch Middle East contributor Ghanim Alotaibi, a Kuwaiti engineer and Space Generation Advisory Council member, wrote of the need for a Kuwaiti space programme, but that such an endeavor faces several challenges, starting with the challenge of ‘Kuwaitisation’. This week, Ghanim address the other three challenges Kuwaiti leaders will …

Al Yah Satellite Communications Company PrJSC (Yahsat), the UAE-based satellite operator which is fully owned by Mubadala, has appointed Mona Al Muhairi as Chief Human Capital Officer. Mona has more than 20 years of human capital experience and she has been promoted to the role having previously held the position …

Turkey is to build new satellites for its near neighbour Azerbaijan once its current satellites in orbit reach the end of their operational lifetimes. Azerbaijan currently operates its Azersky and Azerspace-1 satellites in both low-earth and geostationary orbits (160-2,000 kilometres altitude and 36,000 kilometres altitude respectively). Azersky is an earth …

Recent press reports quote the head of the Iranian Space Agency, Mohsen Bahrami, as saying that he would like to see Iran cooperate with the American space agency, NASA. ThorGroup’s Chairman and President, Dr. John B. Sheldon, argues that while Mr. Bahrami’s sentiments are noble, political realities mean space cooperation …

According to Iran’s Communications and Information Technology Minister Mahmoud Vaezi, satellite manufacturers from four countries have expressed interest in building Iran’s National Communication Satellite (NCS). The announcement by Minister Vaezi came after he revealed that a contract had been signed with an unnamed Russian satellite manufacturer for Tehran’s National Remote …

According to Iranian and Azerbaijani press reports, Iran has signed a contract with a Russian satellite manufacturer to build a high-resolution National Remote Sensing Satellite. Iranian Communications and Information Technology Minister, Mahmoud Vaezi, told Mehr News Agency that the Iranian space programme is being developed along two parallel tracks with …

Media reports in Oman indicate that the government in Muscat is reexamining the feasibility of acquiring a national communications satellite to serve broad Omani telecommunications needs. Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Salim al Futaisi, Oman’s Minister of Transport and Communications, said that the government is developing a range of studies …

The UAE Space Agency has been inducted into the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) during the 2016 International Astronautical Congress being held in Guadalajara, Mexico, held 26-30 September 2016. The IAF is a non-profit non-governmental organisation set up in 1951 under French law. Its structure is laid out in the IAF …

British satellite communications company Inmarsat and Turkey’s satellite operator Türksat have signed a partnership agreement to collaborate on satellite services, maritime communications, and in the defence and aerospace sectors, according to Turkish media outlets. Speaking to reporters in Ankara on 27 September 2016, the Turkish Transport, Maritime Affairs, and Communications …