In order to take advantage of business opportunities in the local and international EO market, Al Yah Satellite Communications Company (Yahsat), the provider of satellite solutions, and Bayanat, an ADX-listed public company that offers AI-powered geospatial solutions, have announced a comprehensive space programme. This programme will build national satellite remote sensing and Earth Observation (EO) capabilities within the UAE.
The programme is a component of the two businesses’ collaboration with ICEYE, a reputable Finnish SAR satellite maker. The extension of Bayanat’s capabilities into the space industry puts the business in a strong position to pursue its growth plan and take a leading role in the field.
SAR is an active sensing system that illuminates the Earth’s surface and measures the reflected signal to generate high-resolution images.
SAR satellites can take pictures day or night, regardless of the weather or the amount of sunlight, in contrast to conventional optical imaging satellites. In comparison to previous New Space SAR satellite services, ICEYE’s radar antenna offers higher-resolution photos of smaller regions or covers significantly greater geographic areas.
Bayanat’s programme aims to develop a constellation of at least five SAR low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites to provide a consistent data stream for end-to-end solutions for SAR applications.
By combining Bayanat’s downstream capabilities, such as advanced AI and data analytics, with Yahsat’s upstream and midstream capabilities, including its industry-leading satellite infrastructure and the wide range of rapidly expanding satellite-enabled innovative solutions, it will cover the entire value chain. This will greatly improve Bayanat’s commercial offerings by giving useful geospatial insights to various industries in a timely manner.
The initiative will provide a number of strategic advantages for the country, such as access to sovereign SAR data acquisition, improved data privacy, and increased development of the country’s in-country space exploration capabilities. It will also foster cooperation between key strategic stakeholders in the UAE’s space ecosystem, boost the country’s position in space technology, and provide new opportunities for Bayanat, Yahsat, and the nation’s next space exploration projects.
A sovereign EO ecosystem will be developed as a result of the relationship between Bayanat and Iceye, working with Yahsat, allowing us to offer cutting-edge solutions while advancing knowledge, science, and sustainable economic growth.
