A space manufacturing facility capable of producing 50 satellites a year has opened in Abu Dhabi.
Orbitworks, a company formed as a partnership between Abu Dhabi’s Marlan Space and San Francisco’s Loft Orbital, has opened a satellite assembly, integration and testing centre in the emirate’s Kezad economic zone.
The factory could help the country produce satellites that can be sold to clients locally and around the world, rather than relying on imports.
Dr Hamdullah Mohib, acting chief executive of Orbitworks and chief executive of Marlan Space, said the goal was to become a leading exporter to “governments and commercial clients”.
“Our focus, when we set up this facility, was to be a large, commercially driven entity,” he added.
The facility spans 4,645 square metres and currently handles satellites weighing up to 500kg. “It has been the ambition for many in this region to try to build a capability like this,” Dr Mohib said. “It’s very much needed because the space race is growing and the need for these satellites is increasing.
“What we are unveiling is an enabler for our future growth in the UAE and offering solutions [so we no longer have to] import from other countries.”
Creating jobs
Dr Mohib said the project is already creating jobs and opportunities for Emiratis and foreign residents. There are 35 people employed so far and that will rise to 53 by the end of this year.
“We are creating very high-level, high-tech jobs,” he added. “They are not jobs for ordinary factory workers. They are very high-skilled jobs and will have a significant impact on the economy.
“We are also training Emirati staff so that knowledge-transfer takes place over the next few years. Our first employee was an Emirati. We will continue to grow.”
Altair constellation
Orbitworks is also developing its own satellite constellation called Altair, which translates from Arabic to “the flying one”. It will initially be made up of 10 satellites designed to provide near real-time Earth observation intelligence.
Each satellite integrates optical, infrared, thermal and radio frequency sensors with on-board AI processing. When the sensors detect activity of interest, the satellites automatically capture detailed imagery and process it into immediate information that clients can use.
“These multiple sensors can turn the satellites into information providers, not just image takers,” explained Dr Mohib.
He said the information could be valuable to companies like Adnoc, which could monitor facilities including pipelines, storage and oil rigs at sea and onshore.
“Instead of taking pictures and sending them every hour, the satellite could see if there is a leak or damage to any of the installations,” said Dr Mohib. The information would be relayed immediately, he added.
He believes the system could also be useful in agriculture, climate monitoring, maritime logistics and disaster response. The first of the 10 satellites in the constellation is expected to be ready by the second half of next year.
Dr Mohib said the new company is combining the “speed and mindset of a start-up” with the resources and long-term vision of the UAE.
“Satellites are usually built over a period of 18 months to three years,” he said. “We have not only built the facility, but also a team, and we have started designing and engineering our first constellation.”
The project has already drawn international interest and a western European client has already been secured.
The launch event on Tuesday was attended by members of the UAE space community, including the UAE Space Agency, Space42 and the Edge Group, as well as Emirati astronauts Nora Al Matrooshi and Mohammad Al Mulla.
“This project supports efforts to build a sustainable space economy based on knowledge and innovation and driven by advanced technology,” said Dr Ahmad Al Falasi, chairman of the UAE Space Agency. “It also underscores the growing role of the national private sector in advancing the UAE’s vision to establish a world-class, integrated and pioneering space industry.”
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon’s support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to “prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts”.
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
“The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved,” he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice – 1pm; Second practice – 5pm
Saturday: Final practice – 2pm; Qualifying – 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) – 5.10pm
The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Living in…
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method – usually used for eBay purchases – but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pocketsKill%20
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More from Rashmee Roshan LallThe specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X
Price, as tested: Dh84,000
Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: Six-speed auto
Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.