Eastern Promise
The Middle East market presents a real opportunity for the satellite industry and the presence of companies from all over the world at the CABSAT 2009 exhibition highlighted this fact. Along with Africa, the Middle East represents one of the most dynamic emerging regions for satellite. The geographic nature of the Middle East, with its difficult terrain, means that it can often be impossible to lay cable or fibre optics to more isolated towns and villages and population can be very dispersed. Infrastructure may well serve the larger conurbations but outside of these there is a huge untapped market that is ripe for the satellite industry to pick. There is a great deal of pent-up demand lying in the Middle Eastern region and the support of events in the Middle East such as CABSAT shows that companies are looking for new ways to reach their customers and to ensure that all communication mediums such as broadband and broadcast are made available to everyone.

Euroconsult revealed that in the last five years alone, transponder demand has risen by 12 percent per year in the EMEA region. Interest in services such as DTH, voice and data has grown exponentially and there are interesting new developments happening in the region as Middle East-based companies try to meet this demand. Two new satellite operators were present at CABSAT that both have interesting and fresh perspectives on the delivery of these much sought after services for their region.

Al Yah Satellite Communications Company or Yahsat is a private joint stock company fully owned by Mubadala, an investment arm of the Government of Abu Dhabi. Since being incorporated in 2007, they have designed the region’s first hybrid satellite system, based on extensive interaction with customers and research into their communication needs. Yahsat 1A will offer a wide portfolio of voice, data, video and Internet connectivity solutions designed to accommodate the demand for emerging applications in the satellite industry like HDTV and other broadband satellite services.

The satellite’s footprint will cover the Middle East, Africa, Europe and South West Asia regions in C-, Ku- and Ka-band. The satellite is scheduled for launch in Q4 of 2010 and Yahsat are establishing themselves quickly within the market.

Another new satellite operator on the Middle East scene is SmartSat, an alliance of Jordan and Kuwaiti companies that have launched a US$500 million firm that will be the MENA region’s first private company to specialise in the satellite industry. SmartSat will launch a satellite that will provide a powerful platform to dramatically improve the communications capability of the Middle East. Smartlink is the Jordanian private shareholding company that operates as a global broadband satellite service provider in the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe. The Kuwaiti contingent is Al Jawhara, an investment holding company that will act as financial adviser for the project. Once launched, SmartSat will combine C-band, Ku-band and Ka-Band to provide a range of different services.

The point to be made is that the Middle East is well and truly prepared to invest heavily in new satellite projects whether they are privately or publicly funded. At the end of the day, the Middle Eastern companies have first-hand understanding of their market requirements. They know exactly what services are required and where and this will help these new and exciting ventures to present customised satellite solutions for their region and beyond. The Middle East has a great deal to offer to the satellite industry and brave and bold companies such as Yahsat and SmartSat will reap the rewards of this dynamic region.

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