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Elon Musk says Saudi Arabia approves use of Starlink

By Pramod Kumar
SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks with Saudi minister of communications Abdullah Alswaha at the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh Reuters/Hamad I Mohammed
SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks with Saudi minister of communications Abdullah Alswaha at the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh
  • Kingdom to use SpaceX satellites
  • Maritime and aviation sectors
  • Tesla to introduce robotaxis

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said Saudi Arabia has approved the use of the company’s Starlink satellite system for its aviation and maritime sectors.

Starlink is a low-orbit satellite network offering high-speed broadband services, particularly in areas with limited internet connectivity. It is operated by SpaceX, Musk’s aerospace and defence company.

Oman has already approved Starlink, while state-backed Qatar Airways will provide Starlink internet service on its flights.

Speaking at the Saudi-US Investment Forum, Musk also announced that Tesla, his electric vehicle company, will introduce robotaxis to the kingdom. No launch details were given.

“I think it would be very exciting to have autonomous vehicles here in the kingdom, indeed, if you are amenable,” he said.

Earlier at the forum Uber Technologies CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said autonomous vehicles will be operating in the kingdom this year.

Musk said Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robots, which are under development, were shown to US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Robotics will unlock an immense amount of economic potential, Musk said, forecasting “an economy 10 times the size of the current global economy”.

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