Oman planning its first communication satellite, Airbus to manufacture it
Recent reports confirm Oman is working on its first high-capacity communications satellite system as the country’s space programme accelerates. The satellite is to be developed by the European aerospace manufacturing giant, Airbus.
The satellite will provide coverage across Oman’s territorial waters, as well as the Middle East, East Africa, and parts of Asia, according to the minister of transport, communication, and information technology, who confirmed that in a televised interview.
“This is our first major step towards space communications to operate our own network to expand the coverage and improve information and national security,” said Said Al Mawaali, the TCIT minister. He did not disclose the project’s cost.
Airbus will handle the satellite’s design, and once completed, the system will be managed by Space Communications Technologies SPC, a state-owned company under the Oman Investment Authority.
Oman launched its national space programme in 2020. The programme’s website notes that, under Royal Decree 90/2020, the initiative positions the country as a regional hub for space applications, supporting economic diversification, national security, talent development, environmental monitoring, and international collaboration.
This marks Oman’s second major communications initiative this year. In July, telecom operators in Oman and the UAE activated a submarine fibre-optic cable linking the two countries, opening a new gateway into the wider GCC network. The project is jointly operated under the name Oman Emirates Gateway.
