{"id":278109,"date":"2025-11-12T09:39:09","date_gmt":"2025-11-12T09:39:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/278109\/"},"modified":"2025-11-12T09:39:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-12T09:39:09","slug":"abu-dhabi-reaches-for-stars-with-factory-that-can-produce-50-satellites-a-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/278109\/","title":{"rendered":"Abu Dhabi reaches for stars with factory that can produce 50 satellites a year"},"content":{"rendered":"

A space manufacturing facility capable of producing 50 satellites<\/a> a year has opened in Abu Dhabi<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Orbitworks, a company formed as a partnership between Abu Dhabi’s Marlan Space and San Francisco\u2019s Loft Orbital, has opened a satellite assembly, integration and testing centre in the emirate’s Kezad economic zone.<\/p>\n

The factory could help the country produce satellites that can be sold to clients locally and around the world, rather than relying on imports.<\/p>\n

Dr Hamdullah Mohib, acting chief executive of Orbitworks and chief executive of Marlan Space, said the goal was to become a leading exporter to \u201cgovernments and commercial clients\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur focus, when we set up this facility, was to be a large, commercially driven entity,” he added.<\/p>\n

The facility spans 4,645 square metres and currently handles satellites weighing up to 500kg. \u201cIt has been the ambition for many in this region to try to build a capability like this,\u201d Dr Mohib said. \u201cIt’s very much needed because the space race is growing and the need for these satellites is increasing. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Creating jobs <\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are creating very high-level, high-tech jobs,\u201d he added. \u201cThey are not jobs for ordinary factory workers. They are very high-skilled jobs and will have a significant impact on the economy. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Altair constellation<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

\u201cThese multiple sensors can turn the satellites into information providers, not just image takers,\u201d explained Dr Mohib.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cInstead of taking pictures and sending them every hour, the satellite could see if there is a leak or damage to any of the installations,\u201d said Dr Mohib. The information would be relayed immediately, he added.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Dr Mohib said the new company is combining the \u201cspeed and mindset of a start-up\u201d with the resources and long-term vision of the UAE. <\/p>\n

\u201cSatellites are usually built over a period of 18 months to three years,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have not only built the facility, but also a team, and we have started designing and engineering our first constellation.\u201d<\/p>\n

The project has already drawn international interest and a western European client has already been secured. <\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis project supports efforts to build a sustainable space economy based on knowledge and innovation and driven by advanced technology,\u201d said Dr Ahmad Al Falasi, chairman of the UAE Space Agency. \u201cIt also underscores the growing role of the national private sector in advancing the UAE\u2019s vision to establish a world-class, integrated and pioneering space industry.\u201d<\/p>\n

COMPANY PROFILE<\/p>\n

Name:\u00a0Almnssa<\/p>\n

Started: August 2020<\/p>\n

Founder:\u00a0Areej Selmi<\/p>\n

Based:\u00a0Gaza<\/p>\n

Sectors: Internet, e-commerce<\/p>\n

Investments: Grants\/private funding<\/p>\n

TRAP<\/p>\n

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue<\/p>\n

Director: M Night Shyamalan<\/p>\n

Rating: 3\/5<\/p>\n

The specs<\/p>\n

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo<\/p>\n

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm<\/p>\n

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm<\/p>\n

Transmission: 9-speed auto<\/p>\n

Fuel consumption: 6.9L\/100km<\/p>\n

On sale: Now<\/p>\n

Price: From Dh117,059<\/p>\n

What is Reform?<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.<\/p>\n

Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.<\/p>\n

After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.<\/p>\n

Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.<\/p>\n

The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a \u00a3100m 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.<\/p>\n

Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion<\/p>\n

The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha\u00a0imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.<\/p>\n

Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to “prevent tax evasion and support the authority\u2019s tax collection efforts”.<\/p>\n

The scheme\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017<\/a>, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.<\/p>\n

COMPANY%20PROFILE<\/p>\n

%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20SupplyVan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2029%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20MRO%20and%20e-commerce%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A<\/p>\n

Abu Dhabi GP schedule<\/p>\n

Friday:\u00a0First practice – 1pm; Second practice – 5pm<\/p>\n

Saturday:\u00a0Final practice – 2pm; Qualifying – 5pm<\/p>\n

Sunday:\u00a0Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) – 5.10pm<\/p>\n

The Bio<\/p>\n

Favourite vegetable: \u201cI really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Holiday destination: \u201cI like Paris very much, it\u2019s a city very close to my heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

Book: \u201cDas 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,\u00a0and humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Musician: \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Our legal consultant<\/p>\n

Name:\u00a0Hassan Mohsen Elhais<\/p>\n

Position:\u00a0legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.<\/p>\n

Living in…<\/p>\n

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country\u2019s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home. <\/p>\n

The alternatives<\/p>\n

\u2022 Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Business Bay\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online \u201ceasier, faster and smoother\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

\u2022 2checkout\u2019s \u201call-in-one payment gateway and merchant account\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

\u2022 PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method\u00a0–\u00a0usually used for eBay purchases –\u00a0\u00a0but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone\u2019s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.<\/p>\n

Groom and Two Brides<\/p>\n

Director: Elie Semaan<\/p>\n

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla<\/p>\n

Rating: 3\/5<\/p>\n

Polarised public<\/p>\n

31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views<\/p>\n

19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views<\/p>\n

19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all<\/p>\n

Source: YouGov<\/p>\n

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pocketsKill%20<\/p>\n

%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nikhil%20Nagesh%20Bhat%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Lakshya%2C%20Tanya%20Maniktala%2C%20Ashish%20Vidyarthi%2C%20Harsh%20Chhaya%2C%20Raghav%20Juyal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.5%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A<\/p>\n

More from Rashmee Roshan LallThe specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X<\/p>\n

Price, as tested: Dh84,000<\/p>\n

Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo<\/p>\n

Transmission: Six-speed auto<\/p>\n

Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm<\/p>\n

Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm<\/p>\n

Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L \/ 100km<\/p>\n

Islamophobia definition <\/p>\n

A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: \u201cIslamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.\u201d It further defines it as \u201cinciting hatred or violence against Muslims\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A space manufacturing facility capable of producing 50 satellites a year has opened in Abu Dhabi. Orbitworks, a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":278110,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[2226,49,48,66,306,2225,1320,15797,46173],"class_list":{"0":"post-278109","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-space","8":"tag-abu-dhabi","9":"tag-ca","10":"tag-canada","11":"tag-science","12":"tag-space","13":"tag-standard","14":"tag-story","15":"tag-uae","16":"tag-uae-desk-team"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/278109","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=278109"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/278109\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/278110"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=278109"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=278109"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=278109"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}