Finance Saudi investor leads $350m funding for US space company An investment firm from Saudi Arabia has led a $350 million funding round for Axiom Space, three months after the US company took the kingdom’s first astronauts to the International Space Station. Axiom Space said the Series-C funding round was led by Saudi Arabia’s Aljazira Capital and South Korean healthcare firm Boryung, taking its total […] August 22, 2023
Infrastructure UAE invests in battle against severe flooding UAE government bodies and residents are working proactively to combat the impact of severe flooding, as climate change leads to increased levels of rainfall. Dubai Municipality said it received more than 100 emergency calls at the weekend as a result of severe weather conditions, and the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) has warned that heavy […] August 10, 2023
Industry Yahsat in Airbus talks to build new satellites Al Yah Satellite Communications Company (Yahsat) is in talks with Airbus to start work on two new satellites as it looks to build on a 5 percent rise in net profit for the first half of 2023. Group CEO Ali Al Hashemi said the Abu Dhabi-listed company has signed an authorisation-to-proceed letter with the European […] August 8, 2023
Analysis Tech Saudi Arabia signals intent with space sector shake-up The launch of the Saudi Space Agency puts the kingdom on a trajectory to become one of the biggest players in the global space race, experts say. The agency has replaced the Saudi Space Commission and will focus on space science and exploratory missions, creating new opportunities and, according to its website, “empowering national cadres […] July 7, 2023
Tech Elon Musk denies UAE-Saudi investment in SpaceX Elon Musk has denied speculation suggesting investors from Saudi Arabia and the UAE are preparing to participate in a funding round for his SpaceX venture. A report earlier this week, carried in US tech-focused publication The Information, said a unit of Saudi Arabia’s investment fund and an Abu Dhabi-based company are planning to invest in […] March 24, 2023
Tech Venture fund to invest in Israel’s ‘new space’ industry Earth & Beyond Ventures, a new early-stage venture fund investing in Israel’s emerging commercial space ecosystem, has launched with commitments of $125 million to leverage Israel’s expertise in deeptech, aerospace, and satellite engineering. The fund is backed by manufacturer and Nasa supplier Corning Inc, Japanese electronics giant Kyocera Corp, Israeli satellite firm SpaceCom and Samtec, […] February 10, 2023
Video length: 00:46 EXCLUSIVE US space balloon pioneer seeks Middle East partners A company planning to launch commercial balloon flights to the edge of outer space in late 2024 is seeking partners in the Middle East. Space Perspective, which is headquartered at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, is looking to build “strong, longer-term, strategic partnerships” with regional tech firms and investors, according to Jane Poynter, founder […] February 9, 2023
Analysis Energy UK and Saudi eye investments in space-based solar power The UK and Saudi governments are exploring closer collaboration to invest in what could be the next era of renewable energy: space-based solar power. Grant Shapps, Britain’s business and energy secretary, met Abdullah Al Swaha, chairman of the Saudi Space Commission and minister of communications and information technology, for talks last week. A potential collaboration […] January 17, 2023
Kuwait forays into space with first satellite launch Kuwait’s first satellite, ‘KuwaitSat-1’, was successfully launched into space onboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 from Florida’s Cape Canaveral, state-owned Kuwait News Agency (Kuna) reported. The project, which has been in the works for three years, was undertaken by Kuwait University and funded by the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences. It comes as GCC […] January 4, 2023
UAE-built Rashid rover blasts off towards the moon The UAE-built Rashid rover, the first Emirati mission to the surface of the moon, lifted off on board a Space X Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Sunday. The UAE is set to become the first Arab country and the fourth country in the world to make a soft […] December 12, 2022
Analysis Oil to outer space: the changing face of UAE-Japan trade When the Emirates lunar mission is launched next month, the trade relationship between the UAE and Japan will be taken to a whole new level – approximately 384,400km higher. The Rashid rover will be transported to the moon on a lunar lander made by Japanese company ispace. The exact date has yet to be confirmed, […] October 11, 2022
Oman’s first satellite ‘Aman’ is set for launch this year Oman-based International Emerging Technology Company (ETCO) has said that the first Omani satellite, ‘Aman’, was successfully prepared for its launch into Low Earth Orbit, at Newquay, Cornwall, in the UK. According to the state-owned Omani News Agency, the satellite is integrated into the launch rocket ‘LauncherOne’ and will be taken on its journey into space […] October 6, 2022
Tech Qatar issues licence to Elon Musk’s satellite broadband firm Qatar’s telecom watchdog Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) has issued an individual licence to Starlink Satellite Qatar, state-owned QNA reported. The licence authorises US-based Starlink’s Qatar unit to provide satellite broadband Internet services to individuals and enterprises via the low-earth orbit satellite constellation of SpaceX. Starlink will provide direct-to-consumer satellite Internet and premium services, targeting businesses […] September 29, 2022
Markets Kuwait said to relocate control of $7bn fund from London Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) is planning to move the management of a $7 billion fund from London back to its home country, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The sovereign wealth fund will now oversee the satellite fund from its Kuwaiti headquarters instead of the London-based Kuwait Investment Office. However, the fund will […] September 23, 2022
Oman to set up space research and settlement centre Oman’s Public Authority for Special Economic and Free Zones (OPAZ) has signed an agreement with Global Space and Technology Company to establish a space settlement centre for research, scientific and practical experiments, Oman News Agency reported. The centre will simulate astronauts’ conditions and conduct research on advanced technology and artificial intelligence over an area of […] September 14, 2022
Retail UAE likely to pioneer iPhone 14 emergency message service The UAE is predicted to be at the forefront of adopting the iPhone 14 satellite message feature to send emergency messages from remote locations, according to a local retailer. “With the way Dubai Police and the Ministry of Interior work, I wouldn’t be surprised to see that here fairly soon,” Ashish Panjabi, chief operating officer […] September 8, 2022
Emirates space agency names astronaut for 6-month ISS mission Sultan Al Neyadi, 41, will lift off for the International Space Station next spring, in a mission set to boost the UAE's burgeoning space sector July 25, 2022
Banking & Finance Abu Dhabi firms invest $25m each in Elon Musk’s SpaceX Two Abu Dhabi-listed firms have invested $25 million each in California-based rocket manufacturer SpaceX, which was founded by Elon Musk, the world’s richest man. International Holding Company first invested in SpaceX in 2020 through private equity fund Falcon CI IV and yesterday confirmed it had put in an additional $25 million. “We are pleased to […] June 22, 2022
Analysis Space tech gives Gulf nations a launchpad for local talent Saudi Arabia aims to emulate UAE’s success In 1985, Sultan Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, a former Royal Saudi Air Force pilot, became the first Arab to go into space, flying aboard a US Space Shuttle mission as a payload specialist. He was appointed chairman of the Saudi Space Commission in 2018 and although he […] June 13, 2022
Galactic ambition: the UAE’s mission to Mars is just the start Fuelled by government investment, the UAE’s burgeoning spacetech sector is making a bid for interplanetary domination May 20, 2022
