A Saudi company is planning a low-orbit satellite communications network for secure internet and data transmission in the region.
SpaceBelt KSA and US-based iRocket struck a deal valued at $640 million to launch up to 30 satellites over five years, building a network to serve both defense and commercial customers.
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Oman are investing in space — with the UAE notably reaching Mars orbit in 2021, matched only by the US, Russia, China, India, and the EU. SpaceBelt KSA’s plan is far smaller in scale than what Starlink has deployed, though: the Elon Musk-led company already has 8,000 low-Earth orbit satellites in operation.