signed a significant broadcasting capacity deal in North Africa. It has signed a multiyear multi-transponder deal with the public broadcaster of Morocco, Société Nationale de Radiodiffusion et de Télévision( SNRT). The agreement entails direct-to-home( DTH) services, satellite transponder for digital terrestrial television( DTT) as well as video contribution services. HOT SPOT. Arabsat shares the satellite‘ hot spot’ with Qatar, and in February 2025 signed an agreement with Qvest to launch a fast, reliable, and easy-to-use OTT streaming platform. The strategic partnership will enable Arabsat to extend its direct-to-consumer services while providing white-label solutions for broadcasters and content providers. Qvest has some 20 locations around the globe and delivers premium service to customers worldwide( it is, for example, used by Sky News Arabia). Additionally, Qvest will provide Arabsat with business and technology consultancy, content partnerships, and strategic guidance to enhance its digital media ecosystem. The collaboration will also facilitate partnerships with local and international content providers to expand Arabsat’ s offerings and strengthen its market position.
“ This partnership with Qvest furthers Arabsat ´ s strategy to transform media distribution,” commented Alhamedi Alanezi, president and CEO of Arabsat.“ By offering reliable advanced OTT streaming capabilities alongside traditional satellite services, Arabsat helps broadcasters boost audience reach and engagement in a changing media landscape.”
Arabsat has also launched its multicontinental managed satellite services on neXat platform. neXat, which will enable it to manage various hubs in a single application for its new services offering. Arabsat says it will take advantage of the managed services offered through neXat’ s virtualised platform as a service( PaaS) and Operations Support System-Business Support System( OSS-BSS). This will help Arabsat to deliver managed services across to various verticals including governmental, enterprise and consumer, in every geographical market where it has coverage, and will function as the primary orchestration tool for running all the company’ s operations. MEASUREMENT. Arabsat also struck an agreement that could help close the gap for broadcasters as regards viewership and ratings. There have been complaints for decades from broadcasters and content providers about the lack of audience viewing measurement across the Middle East. Arabsat is looking to help solve the problem by entering a strategic partnership to“ Enhance Real-Time Satellite Audience Measurement” with Audimatic.
The pair say:“ This collaboration aims to
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integrate Audimatic’ s advanced real-time measurement tools with Arabsat’ s satellite services, providing broadcasters and content providers with unprecedented audience insights to optimise their programming and reach.”
Audimatic is a real time TV audiences measurement tool for satellite receivers and IPTV set-top boxes, recording the history of viewers TV choices each second. Audimatic has already won an award from the Arab States Broadcasting Union( ASBU) for the‘ Most Innovative [ product ] of the Year” in 2024, and has been embraced by MBC’ s Shahid system, and has other extensive contracts with the likes of Saudi Broadcasting and eVision. The company was used extensively at the 2024 Olympics with a special emphasis on Arab-speaking countries. NEWCOMER. A relative newcomer to the MENA broadcasting scene is Abu Dhabi’ s Space42, the newly-established combination of Abu Dhabi’ s Al Yah( YahSat) and Bayanat AI, and which operates the Thuraya fleet of satellites. Its latest, Thuraya 4, was launched in January into its transfer orbit and on its way to a location at 44 degrees East. The company says that Thuraya 4 has a firm backlog of $ 799m, and says it is looking to launch Direct-to-Device services with a new low Earth orbiting constellation.
Space42 is expected to build its own low Earth orbiting( LEO) mega-constellation
“ The ambition is to become a global non-terrestrial leader and to establish directto-device and Internet of Things connections.”- Ali Al Hashemi, Space42 to rival Elon Musk’ s Starlink or Eutelsat / OneWeb or the upcoming Jeff Bezos-backed Project Kuiper. Space42 is partnering with Viasat of California. It is understood that
the plan is to use L-band frequencies which Space42 / Thuraya operates.
Space42 already enjoys an overall commitment from the UAE government worth almost $ 800m and spread over a 15-year period. The new Thuraya craft will replace Thuraya 2 which was launched in 2003, and which remains in service. However, Thuraya 3, launched in 2008, suffered a power anomaly which has meant lower revenues from the craft. AMBITION. Ali Al Hashemi, chief executive of Space42’ s Yahsat Space Services division said the company’ s ambition is to become a global non-terrestrial leader and to establish direct-to-device and Internet of Things connections. Managing Director of Space42 is Karim Michel Sabbagh, who held a similar position at SES.
Initially these services would be simple Text and short-message services using the company’ s existing geostationary satellites, and tap into 20 MHz of spectrum for directto-consumer. Al Hashemi has said Space42 will move cautiously into the market but is convinced the business case for LEO is valid.
Another newcomer is Oman, which will in 2025 start launching rockets from its Etlaq Spaceport, the first commercial spaceport in the Middle East and North Africa, which has revealed plans for five test launches in 2025 during the Etlaq Launch Conference. These missions will focus on critical technology
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